OpenTable’s role in this Mexican restaurant’s guest-centric approach

Personalisation takes centre stage at Mestizo, and OpenTable plays a central role in helping the restaurant forge deeper connections with guests and enhance the dining experience with a touch of authenticity and warmth.

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OpenTable’s role in this Mexican restaurant’s guest-centric approach

Personalisation takes centre stage at Mestizo, and OpenTable plays a central role in helping the restaurant forge deeper connections with guests and enhance the dining experience with a touch of authenticity and warmth.

Explore plans

Contact sales

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Mestizo
	Type of restaurant: Restaurant group
	Locations: United Kingdom
	Year founded: 2004

Hampstead Road is a relatively unassuming street in Camden. It features a supermarket chain and a mix of apartment blocks. Yet, one place distinctly stands out. Mestizo is a family-run Mexican restaurant teeming with life – the sort of place where you can feel the energy long before you walk through its doors.

People come from all over to experience authentic Mexican culture and local dishes. Regulars even include the likes of actors Salma Hayek and Robert Pattinson; the former has even chimed in with some free marketing thanks to her love for Mestizo and its mantra of treating every guest like family.

Indeed, its popularity has reached such heights that another spot recently emerged in Chelsea, one of London’s prime postcodes. Run by Alexis Sanchez, who oversees the customer experience at the Chelsea location, Mestizo aims to foster a family feel among guests. He uses OpenTable Pro to ensure personalisation is at the heart and soul of the dining experience.

The family affair that never stops

After speaking with Alexis, it’s clear that he eats, sleeps and breathes Mestizo. His parents first opened the Camden spot in 2004, and everything is still kept in the family. These days Alexis and his brother, Carlos, run both sites, with Alexis overseeing every aspect of the new Chelsea location, which opened its doors a little over a year ago.

Dividing his time between Mexico and London, Alexis takes a hands-on approach even when he’s thousands of miles away. “I’m essentially a bit of everything, including managing reservations, marketing the restaurant, overseeing menus and talking to customers to better understand their needs.

“Even at 9:30 a.m. in Mexico, I’m already on the phone talking to my brother about reservations, ensuring that every fine detail is combed over.”

Alexis goes as far as creating the playlists for the restaurants because he wants to ensure that Mestizo Chelsea has its own identity. “I’ll set the mood for each part of the experience depending on the time of day and whether people are primarily drinking or dining.”

No corner is left unturned, with Alexis focused on giving guests an authentic and personal experience.

Fast facts

	Restaurant name: Mestizo
	Type of restaurant: Restaurant group
	Locations: United Kingdom
	Year founded: 2004

Hampstead Road is a relatively unassuming street in Camden. It features a supermarket chain and a mix of apartment blocks. Yet, one place distinctly stands out. Mestizo is a family-run Mexican restaurant teeming with life – the sort of place where you can feel the energy long before you walk through its doors.

People come from all over to experience authentic Mexican culture and local dishes. Regulars even include the likes of actors Salma Hayek and Robert Pattinson; the former has even chimed in with some free marketing thanks to her love for Mestizo and its mantra of treating every guest like family.

Indeed, its popularity has reached such heights that another spot recently emerged in Chelsea, one of London’s prime postcodes. Run by Alexis Sanchez, who oversees the customer experience at the Chelsea location, Mestizo aims to foster a family feel among guests. He uses OpenTable Pro to ensure personalisation is at the heart and soul of the dining experience.

The family affair that never stops

After speaking with Alexis, it’s clear that he eats, sleeps and breathes Mestizo. His parents first opened the Camden spot in 2004, and everything is still kept in the family. These days Alexis and his brother, Carlos, run both sites, with Alexis overseeing every aspect of the new Chelsea location, which opened its doors a little over a year ago.

Dividing his time between Mexico and London, Alexis takes a hands-on approach even when he’s thousands of miles away. “I’m essentially a bit of everything, including managing reservations, marketing the restaurant, overseeing menus and talking to customers to better understand their needs.

“Even at 9:30 a.m. in Mexico, I’m already on the phone talking to my brother about reservations, ensuring that every fine detail is combed over.”

Alexis goes as far as creating the playlists for the restaurants because he wants to ensure that Mestizo Chelsea has its own identity. “I’ll set the mood for each part of the experience depending on the time of day and whether people are primarily drinking or dining.”

No corner is left unturned, with Alexis focused on giving guests an authentic and personal experience.

Achieving personalisation with OpenTable

Chelsea and Camden use OpenTable, but Mestizo Chelsea takes advantage of OpenTable Pro thanks to its targeted marketing tools and data insights – particularly important elements when opening a restaurant in one of London’s most competitive neighbourhoods.

It also helps Alexis provide that all-important personal service. He says, “With OpenTable, I get to know the customer before they even arrive and can check their dining preferences so they have the best possible experience.”

Features like the 360 Guest Profile allow restaurants to get to know guests while Direct Messaging Activity Stream provides all the reservation details needed when reaching out to guests.

Having that interaction not only helps save time but also makes communication easier when Alexis spends half of the year in Mexico.

“I love that I can see a booking come in real-time and have the contact number of the guest. It means I can message them about benefits at the restaurant and provide pre-ordering options if they prefer. It makes my work so much easier”, Alexis says.

Achieving personalisation with OpenTable

Chelsea and Camden use OpenTable, but Mestizo Chelsea takes advantage of OpenTable Pro thanks to its targeted marketing tools and data insights – particularly important elements when opening a restaurant in one of London’s most competitive neighbourhoods.

It also helps Alexis provide that all-important personal service. He says, “With OpenTable, I get to know the customer before they even arrive and can check their dining preferences so they have the best possible experience.”

Features like the 360 Guest Profile allow restaurants to get to know guests while Direct Messaging Activity Stream provides all the reservation details needed when reaching out to guests.

Having that interaction not only helps save time but also makes communication easier when Alexis spends half of the year in Mexico.

“I love that I can see a booking come in real-time and have the contact number of the guest. It means I can message them about benefits at the restaurant and provide pre-ordering options if they prefer. It makes my work so much easier”, Alexis says.

“I love that I can see a booking come in real-time and have the contact number of the guest. It means I can message them about benefits at the restaurant and provide pre-ordering options if they prefer. It makes my work so much easier”

Alexis Sanchez, Bookings General Manager
Mestizo

Spotting new opportunities

Chelsea is one of the most competitive areas in the UK for restaurants. Every corner has a well-reviewed spot, so standing out from the crowd when you’re the new restaurant in town is anything but straightforward.

Then there are the types of diners at each restaurant. Mestizo in Camden has built an almost cult-like following, attracting everyone from locals to celebs. But a copy-and-paste format wouldn’t work at Chelsea due to the contrasting areas and guests.

“Camden is edgier and maybe more adventurous”, says Alexis. He continues, “You can be more bold in the NW1 postcode. Chelsea, on the other hand, is traditional, mostly catering to a more specific clientele.

“The diners are different at Chelsea, and we’re essentially building that trust up from scratch. Of course, it helps that people know about the Camden location, but we can’t rest on our laurels.”

OpenTable’s features have been instrumental in Mestizo’s marketing efforts to attract new guests. Using targeted campaigns offered by OpenTable Pro has been a success and helped increase footfall at the restaurant.

The “Chelsea Locals” campaign has been particularly impressive, according to Alexis. “We have a promotion offering a discount to local businesses dining at Mestizo in Chelsea so they can stop by throughout the day. The personalisation offered by the campaign has created a bond between local businesses, and it’s been a hit so far.”

Creating a sense of community with nearby businesses creates demand from a different type of diner and adds another string to the bow of guests Mestizo serves.

Seeing results in real-time

Mestizo uses OpenTable in several ways to attract more guests, whether it’s taking advantage of a Boost Campaign or making use of Experiences. Recently, Alexis ran an Experience offering conchas, the traditional Mexican sweet bread, which saw 60% of guests come through the door directly from OpenTable after they booked this particular Experience.

Then there are the upselling opportunities that OpenTable offers through personalisation. “OpenTable lets me build a rapport with customers, and that can lead to them spending more on their dining experience.”

According to Alexis, a guest once spent over £1,000 at Mestizo as a result of conversations they had with him via the direct messaging feature on the OpenTable app after the initial booking took place.

Making it personal

OpenTable has helped Mestizo offer a highly personalised and efficient service. But it’s not only about more bookings – Alexis can build real connections with guests by understanding their needs and creating a unique dining experience.

“We work very hard. We don’t call it work – we call it life. And it’s our life. Hospitality is our life. And we love it,” Alexis concludes, encapsulating the passion and commitment that make Mestizo a standout dining destination.

With OpenTable, Mestizo has a partner that shares its vision for hospitality, one that goes beyond transactions and delves into the heart of what makes dining truly special. It’s a partnership that’s not just about technology but about people, connections and the joy of sharing a meal.

Spotting new opportunities

Chelsea is one of the most competitive areas in the UK for restaurants. Every corner has a well-reviewed spot, so standing out from the crowd when you’re the new restaurant in town is anything but straightforward.

Then there are the types of diners at each restaurant. Mestizo in Camden has built an almost cult-like following, attracting everyone from locals to celebs. But a copy-and-paste format wouldn’t work at Chelsea due to the contrasting areas and guests.

“Camden is edgier and maybe more adventurous”, says Alexis. He continues, “You can be more bold in the NW1 postcode. Chelsea, on the other hand, is traditional, mostly catering to a more specific clientele.

“The diners are different at Chelsea, and we’re essentially building that trust up from scratch. Of course, it helps that people know about the Camden location, but we can’t rest on our laurels.”

OpenTable’s features have been instrumental in Mestizo’s marketing efforts to attract new guests. Using targeted campaigns offered by OpenTable Pro has been a success and helped increase footfall at the restaurant.

The “Chelsea Locals” campaign has been particularly impressive, according to Alexis. “We have a promotion offering a discount to local businesses dining at Mestizo in Chelsea so they can stop by throughout the day. The personalisation offered by the campaign has created a bond between local businesses, and it’s been a hit so far.”

Creating a sense of community with nearby businesses creates demand from a different type of diner and adds another string to the bow of guests Mestizo serves.

Seeing results in real-time

Mestizo uses OpenTable in several ways to attract more guests, whether it’s taking advantage of a Boost Campaign or making use of Experiences. Recently, Alexis ran an Experience offering conchas, the traditional Mexican sweet bread, which saw 60% of guests come through the door directly from OpenTable after they booked this particular Experience.

Then there are the upselling opportunities that OpenTable offers through personalisation. “OpenTable lets me build a rapport with customers, and that can lead to them spending more on their dining experience.”

According to Alexis, a guest once spent over £1,000 at Mestizo as a result of conversations they had with him via the direct messaging feature on the OpenTable app after the initial booking took place.

Making it personal

OpenTable has helped Mestizo offer a highly personalised and efficient service. But it’s not only about more bookings – Alexis can build real connections with guests by understanding their needs and creating a unique dining experience.

“We work very hard. We don’t call it work – we call it life. And it’s our life. Hospitality is our life. And we love it,” Alexis concludes, encapsulating the passion and commitment that make Mestizo a standout dining destination.

With OpenTable, Mestizo has a partner that shares its vision for hospitality, one that goes beyond transactions and delves into the heart of what makes dining truly special. It’s a partnership that’s not just about technology but about people, connections and the joy of sharing a meal.

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