#local taco

Every week were are going to post some of our favorites things. It could be anything. Places, food, shows, music, anything that has been a topic in the shop. here we go. 

The Crushed Violet. It is Lexington's only fragrance boutique.

The Local Taco.  After being a huge fan of this place in Nashville, we were delighted that they opened one here.  Spicy shrimp tacos are out of this world.

Parlay Social.  This joint has pizza, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, oysters, and prohibition era drinks. What more do we need to say.

The Local Taco in Brentwood TN

The Local Taco has restaurants in Nashville and Brentwood. My co-workers raved about how great the food tastes and how much they enjoy going there. So I thought we had to try this place. For food, expect to spend $9-14 per person (depending on if you get an appetizer or drinks) not including tip. Plan to go when you have plenty of time.

Brand expectation: 1 Product/Service received: 2 Identity System: 3 Cohesion: 1 Brand quality: 2 Total: 2 Fifes

  Why 2 Fifes?

Brand expectation:

A really good taco at a trendy local spot. Was this met? It was a trendy place, but the quality of tacos & service was disappointing.

Product/Service received:

1st Visit: Product: There were no normal tacos on the menu, and not many choices of tacos. Appetizer: delicious cheese dip with tortilla chips. Entrees: 2 smoked chicken enchiladas and 2 buffalo chicken tacos. Thoughts: looks pretty good and healthy. Taste: confusion and dislike. Service: Slow, inefficient server. Helping one table at a time, not checking all of her tables to see if people needed refills, to order food, etc. We waited 15-20 minutes with empty cups, had to flag the server down to get the check, no offer to refill the empty cups.

2nd Visit:  I took my sister back to The Local Taco, in order to get pictures of the logo and food for this blog post. Let's just say, I wanted to give it a second chance and get a fish taco connoisseur's opinion on these tacos.  Product: Cheese dip: a must. Entree: split a 2 taco dinner: 1 fish taco, 1 southern fried taco. The southern fried taco was definitely better than the buffalo, but not worth going back a third time. The fish taco got my sister's rating of 2.5 on a scale of 10 (10 being the best), with a remark about it being a bit pricey for what you actually receive. Service: Slow, inefficient server. Different one from before, but just as disorganized.

Identity System:

Placing the logo in a circle eliminates the need for an icon. It also allows for simple signage for the restaurant. The main color of the logo is blue, with accents of red and yellow. Blue means stability, trust, serene, and universally well-liked; but is also an appetite suppressant. This color is typically used for financial institutions. Yellow and red are typical restaurant colors, because they are appetite stimulating. Using 3 fonts in the logo was unnecessary, "the" and "taco" could have been the same. No need to use a serif, script and san serif in one logo. The menus are 1 color print, on white paper, like something you would see at an upscale restaurant. (Note: the menu at the restaurant and the menu online are designed differently.) The logo conveys the idea of a normal, homemade taco at a trendy restaurant. 

Cohesion:

On a side street close to downtown Brentwood, sits The Local Taco. If you were to have different people design the exterior, interior, logo and restaurant graphics, this is the outcome. It is almost as if no one communicated. The circular blue logo with clean type definitely lets you know this place is trendy. The exterior of the building and menu design can make the consumer feel like a cocktail dress is needed to go inside. (We discovered that it's ok to wear jeans.) The interior design and logo are a bit rustic in comparison, (the design is feels more like a seafood restaurant on the beach) not cohesive. The logo contradicts the product and service it delivers; it tells you it is universally well-liked, and stable but there are no normal, "stable" tacos on their menu. The name of this restaurant should have been "the local margarita" or "the local cerveza". If you decide to venture to The Local Taco, go for appetizers and drinks; tacos are not their specialty, although the name tells you differently.

Brand quality:

The Local Taco draws the after business crowd, looking for a good drink with friends. Ultimately a business is perceived by the product and service it delivers. Locals looking for a good taco while supporting the local community, will be disappointed. Travelers wanting to experience a local restaurant, will not leave satisfied. With the name "The Local Taco", they should have more taco choices on their menu. Slow, inefficient service paired with an identity system that tells you one thing, but does not deliver, is a recipe for non-returning customers.  Franklin has too many good spanish food choices to come back.

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How the brand can improve:

-More tacos on their menu, and more than one normal taco -Train servers how to work more efficiently. -Make their brand more cohesive, from exterior to interior, in store menus and online marketing.

Reasons for success:

• Trendy: It's a trendy place to go have good appetizers and drinks. • Supports the Local Community: Using local products whenever possible 

Reasons for future demise:

• Good Competition: Franklin has so many good spanish food choices, local and chain. • Poor Brand Quality: Since the brand promises one thing and delivers another, eventually the business will suffer. • Poor Location: This particular location is tucked away on a less-traveled side street.

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We would like to hear about your experience at The Local Taco. How did it compare with our rating?