Status:
Offline
Client:
PopMenu
Established:
2025
URL:
Location:
NC, USA
Project Scope:
Website Dev & Design, Brand Storytelling, SEO Strategy, OLO & Reservation Integration
Alvaro Morales
- Residence:Honduras
- City:San Pedro Sula
- Gender:Male
- Age:29
- Spanish:Native
- Englsih:C2 Proficient
- German:B2
- French:A1
Rancho Jalisco
eCommerce, Mexican Food, Restaurant Sites
Project Overview
A Ranch-Style Welcome in Mint Hill
Rancho Jalisco recently re-opened under new ownership, inheriting a loyal customer base but facing a strategic dilemma. Traffic was split evenly between online ordering and dine-in, but the owners wanted to shift the momentum toward the physical dining room without sacrificing their robust takeout revenue. They needed a digital identity that could simultaneously appeal to families looking for a warm lunch and socialites seeking a vibrant tequila bar experience.
The mission was to balance heritage with hospitality. We needed to craft a website that felt "warmly familiar" yet festive, using authentic Jalisco motifs to tell a deeper brand story while implementing aggressive Calls-to-Action (CTAs) to drive reservations and cement their status as the local go-to for authentic Mexican cuisine.
Challenges & Goals
The Challenges
Traffic Balancing: With a 50/50 split between takeout and dine-in, the challenge was to design a UX that encouraged more in-person visits without adding friction to the established online ordering revenue stream.
Dual Atmosphere: The brand needed to project two distinct vibes—family-friendly for lunch and vibrantly social for Happy Hour—without creating a disjointed user experience.
Visual Storytelling: The previous presence failed to highlight the specific "Jalisco" roots, missing an opportunity to differentiate from generic Tex-Mex competitors.
The Goals
Dine-In Growth: Implement prominent "Reserve a Table" CTAs and showcase the bar atmosphere to drive a measurable increase in foot traffic.
Brand Immersion: Develop a rich palette (Fiesta Red, Hacienda Green, Rope Brown) and use Rye typography to create a cohesive "Ranch" aesthetic.
Local Dominance: Optimize the site with keywords like "Best Authentic Mexican Food in Mint Hill" to capture top rankings in local search results.
Strategy & Approach
Phase 1: Deep Brand Dive
We pulled key motifs from the logo—cowboy hats, rope textures, and agave leaves—to craft a cohesive visual narrative. I defined a warm, earthy palette using Warm Tan (#D2A76F) and Hacienda Green (#1D5F2E), paired with the Rye heading font to evoke a rustic, authentic feel.
Phase 2: Priority UX Design
We organized the navigation into a sticky top bar for one-click access to essential pages. We prioritized CTAs by using color-blocking to steer users: "Order Online" for quick revenue and "Reserve a Table" to boost dining room capacity. A mobile-first layout ensured seamless browsing for local workers and families alike.
Phase 3: Content & SEO Engineering
We wove the Jalisco heritage into the copy, highlighting regional favorites and tequila flights to build an emotional connection. Technically, we implemented LocalBusiness schema and keyword-rich alt tags to boost visibility in Google Maps, ensuring the restaurant appeared for "Mexican restaurant & bar" searches.
Solutions Delivered
| Area | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Visual Design | Created a custom "Jalisco Ranch" theme with rope textures, Rye typography, and a #C1272D/#1D5F2E palette. |
| Menu Experience | Built a dynamic menu module that filters by meal period (Lunch, Late Night, Happy Hour) to serve different user needs. |
| Commerce Strategy | Integrated external delivery links (DoorDash/UberEats) without cluttering the primary "Order Online" flow for direct pickup. |
| Event Engine | Developed an Events Calendar that automatically populates live music and tequila tastings to drive social traffic. |
| Local SEO | Structured site content with geo-specific keywords and Schema markup to dominate "Mint Hill" search results. |
Results & Impact
Juan
Manager
“The festive animations on the landing page set the right mood immediately. Our table reservation numbers have never been better.”
28% Increase
Dine-In Reservations
Strategic placement of reservation CTAs successfully shifted the traffic balance, driving more bodies into the dining room within six weeks.
15% Growth
New Online Users
Despite the focus on dine-in, the mobile-optimized interface attracted a new wave of takeout customers.
Top 3
Local Ranking
The site now consistently ranks in the top three Google results for "Mexican food near Mint Hill, NC," driving a 40% increase in map clicks.
Screens & Layouts
Kevin
Owner
“I finally feel like our website works as hard as our kitchen.”
