The increase in screen time and reliance on social media during the pandemic has led to customers asking to be engaged in new and creative ways. Nowadays, customers don’t want photos for social posts. Instead, they are asking for a complete experience.
According to The Harris Poll, one of the longest-running research and analytics companies in the United States, between 46% and 51% of American adults have been using social media more since the outbreak of COVID-19 began.
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Taco Chelo is located at 501 E Roosevelt St. It is the creation of Chef Suny Santana, artist Genaro Garcia, and restaurateur Aaron Chamberlin.
According to their website “The taqueria combines both culinary and visual arts to create a homage to Chef suny’s heritage with a concise menu of tacos, vegetables and beverages.”
When Taco Chelo opened three years ago, it was a lively restaurant. People were coming in, music was playing, food was being served, and customers were happy. Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed for the restaurant.
Up until the pandemic, the restaurant’s main form of advertising was First Friday. When Covid shut down, they had to adapt to a new form of advertising. They started using social media as a tool to engage with their customers in creative and unique ways
For them, social media is about creating experiences for their customers to enjoy.
“Social media for us is a way to engage with customers and keep them coming back,” said Stephany Delgado, manager at Taco Chelo
Taco Chelo has started to do this by posting tutorial videos in Tik Tok that show customers how to make drinks served at the restaurant. In time for Halloween, they released a recipe video of one of their most famous Mexican drinks, agua de Horchata. They added a unique twist to it by teaching customers how to do a pumpkin horchata.
“The first tik tok we did had like over one million views which was awesome. After that a lot of people kept coming in saying that they found this TikTok. We’ve had a lot of new customers come in because of the TikTok,” said Delgado
By creating these videos, the restaurant is engaging their customers in a new and fun way while providing them with unforgettable experiences and delicious new recipes along the way.
Taco Chelo keeps its consumers engaged with creative and themed food posts, showcasing their weekly specials and monthly ones on Instagram.
Customers will say. “Oh, I saw you on Instagram.” By posting on our Instagram, we are reaching more customers all around Arizona, “said Delgado
Social media has provided Taco Chelo with the opportunity to reach more people in Arizona and not only those who live in the Downtown Phoenix area.
Another new popular social media strategy that the restaurant has started is to showcase their employee of the month on their Instagram page. Each month the restaurant picks three employees of the month and showcases them on their Instagram.
. The restaurant also has a wheel that employees spin to get a mystery surprise. In addition, employees can get a free dinner, free money, and more gifts.
According to Netwaiter restaurant marketing website, “Employees who are happier work harder. The converse is also true. Unmotivated and miserable employees are less engaged and less productive.”
Taco Chelo’s social media also gives a glimpse behind the curtain to customers. The restaurant’s social media shows that the restaurant is a fun place to work and is not serious all the time.
“I love all of the vibrant colors of their social media. I also love that they feature their employees of the month, said Taco Chelo customer Rebecca Striffler.
One of the best parts about the restaurant is that they are constantly finding new ways to engage their clients.
“They have signs throughout the restaurant things like Keep Phoenix Chido and Taquero Mucho which tie with the Hispanic culture and with Phoenix in a new and fun way,” said Striffler.
According to customers Taco Chelo is one of the most fashionable and insta worthy restaurants in downtown Phoenix, and it shows on their social media. The restaurant is filled with vibrant colors and traditional Mexican decoration created by Genaro Garcia, a Mexican designer, and artist;
“It very well fits with the arts and cultures of the Roosevelt District and creates a modern fresh ambiance for customers,” said Striffler.
