Oaxaca is known as one of the top food and beverage cities in all of Latin America. The mecca of mole in south central Mexico stands out for more than the variety of rich and delicious sauces: internationally renowned restaurants, attractive night street food stalls, unique culinary and beverage items such as tlayudas, tejate, borrego barbecue and , of course, the iconic agave-based Mexican spirit, mezcal. But despite its gastronomic greatness, every year from early September to the height of Día de los Muertos in late October, its restaurants suffer from malnutrition—that is, they aren’t on the books enough to maintain a healthy level of sustenance. financial.
Enter the inaugural Oaxaca Sabe, September 16-23, 2014. The week-long event was the first attempt in recent memory by a group of restaurant owners to bring much-needed revenue to restaurants that they range from high-end to middle-of-the-road, by offering prix-fixe menus at affordable prices. Yes, there is the Saber del Sabor for those of substantial financial means, the ever-seemingly struggling spring Humanitas Festival, and the Feria de los Siete Moles which takes place during the summer when there are already a number of food and drink events. What the city of Oaxaca has always needed has been something to give restaurants hope and keep their servers afloat, during a time of year when raging rains keep residents indoors and tourism is booming. at its lowest point in the year. Oaxaca Sabe seems capable of providing the correct recipe, despite initial shortcomings.
Twenty-three restaurants each raised 1,000 pesos for advertising and marketing, including website and online social media presence and posters. The promotional material featured a three-course meal (lunch or dinner) with a starter, main course and dessert, including beer, wine or mezcal (or soft drink, tea or coffee), all for 250 pesos, tip included. And to top it off, a series of private lots were awarded to provide parking at the rock-bottom price of ten pesos an hour.
My wife and I attended three dinners on consecutive nights, two of which were exquisite in every respect, and the third, well, although of a high standard, exposed flaws that we had experienced there on previous occasions. Why go to a restaurant that hadn’t been up to scratch before? I guess we thought “one last chance, and for 250 pesos, how can you go wrong in a dining room that has received international critical acclaim”. We learned how – again.
We selected three esteemed restaurants in the city: Origen, Azul and La Pitiona. We have always considered Origen one of the two best restaurants in the city, the other being Casa Oaxaca. Origen did not disappoint, with the three dishes selected by each of us living up to the restaurant’s reputation, well-paired wine, and a top-shelf arroqueño mezcal, hardly ever used as the house liquor. Since this article is not in the nature of a restaurant review, I will not turn it into one. I can confidently say, however, that where a restaurant is located along a continuum of food and service quality the other 51 weeks of the year, it will remain there for one promotional week.
While we hadn’t previously dined at Azul, it also had a haughty reputation, located in the courtyard of a luxury hotel of the same name, with several accommodation suites designed and named after prominent Oaxacan artists. As in Origen, we were offered a selection of three dishes to choose from for each course. This time we each had red wine, a Spanish tempranillo, so nice we ordered a second glass. And like in Origen, in Azul the waiters were attentive and helpful.
La Pitiona, according to my wife who had dined there on two more occasions than me, maintained the same level of pretentiousness as the day it opened. How presumptuous not to offer a selection of selections for any of the courses! Even a cheesy wedding in Canada or the United States often offers chicken or fish. But as suggested, a restaurant’s personality doesn’t change for a special event… just like a leopard can’t change its spots.
The closing event took place on the night of September 23 at one of the highest level participating restaurants, Casa Crespo. Fine Oaxacan snacks and beverages were served. Attendance was free for those who had attended five previous meals at any of the participating restaurants. The plan had been to give out a card at the end of each meal, with one stamp on it, so if you presented a card with five stamps on it, there would be no cost to attend the end. The problem was that for the three nights we attended, at Origen our server explained about the final night but forgot to give us the stamped card, and at La Pitiona no card was even offered, stamped or not. Azul gave us the stamped card at the end of our meal, with no explanation of what it represented.
Oaxaca Sabe seems to have been a successful inaugural event, with quite a stir in the city, at least among some of our friends and acquaintances. However, some changes and additions to the next edition would make it more successful and potentially make Oaxaca Sabe a permanent fixture:
• Toronto has seen success with a multi-day Winterlicious restaurant event in the dead of winter, when even Canadians hate to venture out into the cold and snow, and a Summerlicious program six months later. Both have had considerable success. Consequently, consider a second Oaxaca Sabe each year, during the other light season for tourism, May. People’s memories are short. Twice a year keeps the experience front and center and gives residents something to look forward to. Plus, tourists who attend can spread the word to friends and family about a second week, just a few months down the line.
• They do not include a tip in the price. Yes, make sure servers are manned, quiet, but they need the cash flow more than restaurant owners. Perhaps remind customers that they are getting a real bargain and should therefore consider upping their usual tipping pattern.
• Consider doubling the number of restaurant attendees and include a variety of ethnic foods. Go beyond the Italian, and the Oaxacan or continental fusion. Oaxaca’s middle-class population is now large enough to adequately patronize more than 23 restaurants, especially if the system of encouraging patrons to attend more meals is adjusted. Oaxaca is known for its gastronomic grandeur, and a sizeable percentage of tourists to the city, both foreign and domestic, come to Oaxaca for the food. Promote it through more offers, and they will come.
• Begin issuing “passports” to residents and tourists a week in advance, at all participating locations. Don’t rely on servers to remember to give diners their cards to stamp them. Customers will quickly become trained to take their passports to every restaurant they visit and have them stamped. Through all the publicity and promotion of the event, the public must be aware of this incentive program.
• Consider reducing the number of assists required to participate in the grand final, from five to four. Five meals over the course of a week is a long way to go. After all, the cost of the final snacks and evening drinks should be relatively modest.
• With more and more diversity in restaurants, consider two different fixed price amounts, one for restaurants with higher prices (ie, Los Danzantes, Casa Oaxaca, Origen, La Pitiona, Vieja Lira, etc.) and one for restaurants with higher prices. more modest prices. (eg La Olla, La Biznaga, Las Quince Letras, El Morocco, Zandunga, etc.). If two price categories are used and there is a greater diversity of restaurant styles, then perhaps the requirement of five attendances to attend the final would work, as patrons would not be required to visit five high-end establishments with different types of cuisine. Similar.
• Do more to promote fee-paying parking as a way to bring downtown residents from the suburbs. Remember that there are now many, many restaurants in neighborhoods like Colonia Reforma, so if one of your goals is to attract potential customers downtown, advertise the parking incentive more clearly.
• Require each participating restaurant to offer three options for each dish. By doing so, customers who were impressed with their first meal at a particular restaurant will be more likely to return to it later in the week.
• Consider the involvement of the state government, with a view to encouraging it to promote Oaxaca Sabe on its website and in other promotional materials throughout the year, as a major bona fide tourism week; but not, however, at the expense of the organizers maintaining control of the event.
• Oaxacans love promotional posters. In this case, the participating restaurants were identified on the signs only by logos (of varying sizes) printed on the bottom, some of which failed to adequately identify the restaurant. Forget logos and just name each restaurant, in the same bold font.
• All promotional material must be bilingual, Spanish/English, and not just in Spanish as was the case for the opening week. While tourism in September is low, one of the goals should be to get not only Oaxacans and domestic tourists to visit restaurants, but also travelers, including foodies, from English-speaking countries who are already in Oaxaca or who are considering a visit. Oaxaca is already synonymous with Culinary Tourism!
Many American and Canadian cities host week-long events that are promoted continuously throughout the year under an event calendar (ie Taste of Chicago). With Oaxaca’s reputation for food and drink, the city has the potential to use Oaxaca Sabe as a major attraction point to attract visitors at a time of year who might not otherwise consider traveling to the city. Oaxaca Sabe just needs a few adjustments. But bravo for an admirable start.