News and Press

Margaritas Makes Move- Seacoastonline.com

Margaritas is coming to Delaware!
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NH Names Three NRA Restaurant Neighbor Awards- The Griffin Report

Margaritas is named a 2011 NRA Restaurant Neighbor Award winner.
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Restaurant Row Adds Mexican- Delaware Online

An article about Margaritas and Craig Cobly's new franchise deal.
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Martha Leahy makes Guacamole- WMUR

VIDEO- Executive Chef, Martha Leahy, makes guacamole.
Click here to watch video.

Men of Many Faces

An article about the Visiting Artists in the Keene Margaritas with pictures of their masks.
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Margaritas Plans Steady Growth Course- Foodservice East

An article about an interview with Patrick Dowling about our new menu items and our plans for the future.
Click here to view a PDF of the article.

Spice Up Thanksgiving with a Splash of Margaritas- Lexington Patch.com

Thanksgiving tips from Executive Chef, Martha Leahy.
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Margaritas Mexican Restaurant Sending One Lucky Diner to Mexico. The Only Way to Win? Eat at Margaritas.- Jags Report

An article about our Go. Eat. Win. promotion we launched on Ocotber 20, 2011.
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PHOTOS: Margaritas Hosts Mask Carving Demonstration- Patch.com

An article with photos and videos of the visiting artist event in Mystic, CT.
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Mexican Mask Carving Demonstration- PatriotLedger.com

Information on the visiting artists in the Weymouth restaurant.
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From Mexico, With Love- Restaurant Management Magazine Online

An interview with our Executive Chef, Martha Leahy.
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VIDEO: Mexican Mask Makers- CBS in Hartford

A live, in-studio segment on the visiting artists.
Click here to watch the video.

Exclusive Interview with Hugo Marin, President of Margaritas Mexican Restaurant- Franchise Chatter

An article on Hugo as the new President of Margaritas and the decision to grow through franchising.
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Mexican Artists Create Masks in Mystic- The Day

Short story about the visiting artists in Mystic.
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Review - The Examiner.com

When you think of ethnic restaurants you think of small mom and pop places in Dorchester or East Boston.  You don't think of a chain of Mexican restaurants as ethnic, but that is exactly what you get with Margaritas...
Read full review

Margaritas Hires New President - Portsmouth Herald

Focus will be on growing the brand through franchising
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Margaritas Kicks off the "Summer of Love" - Nation's Restaurant News

Turing "Likes" into Love with Free Food
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VIDEO: Cool Off With a Blood Orange Margarita - Patch.com

Framingham bartender, Frank, demonstrates how to make one of our signature margaritas.
Watch the Video

Margaritas Celebrates First Year of Success - Medford Transcript

Medford location throws an anniversary fiesta.
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N.H.'s Margaritas opens its first franchise in N.J. - Portsmouth Herald

Margaritas earns a Hall of Fame honor from New Hampshire Magazine.
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Margaritas Brings Mexico to Seacoast via visiting artist - Portsmouth Herald

Margaritas Visiting Artist Program is back in action.
Check out this great article.

Margaritas unveils new menu just in time for Cinco de Mayo - Revere Journal

Margaritas 'Taco Temptations' menu has Revere coming back for more!
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Students get a taste of Mexico - Nashua Telegraph

Students in Nashua get a visit from Margaritas visiting artist, Pablo Paredes.
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Mexican Sculptor visits Johnson Middle School - Walpole Times

Margaritas visiting artist, Pablo Paredes, shares his knowledge of Mexican art and culture with middle school students in Walpole.
Click here to read the article.

Portsmouth Herald

Here's a column Item about new Taco Temptations Menu.
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Hartford Courant "A La Carte" Blog

Check out this blog post about new Taco Temptations menu accompanied by a photo.
Click here to read the post

NJ.com

Announcement of first franchise in New Jersey!
Click here to read the annoucement

Examiner.com in Portland, ME

Check out this Portland food blogger review about Margaritas food and atmosphere.
Click here to read the review

Our Executive Chef Martha Leahy on Phantom Gourmet!

Ole to new Margaritas in Framingham

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Our own Martha Leahy, Margaritas Executive Chef, appeared on WMUR’s Cook’s Corner on Friday, Jan. 7th to present her recipe for Chicken Tortilla soup.

Click here to see the video, click here to get the recipe!

Margaritas won the NECN “Baby, You’re The Best!” Website poll for Best Mexican Restaurant in New England!

The Cantina, Reconstructed - Entrepreneur Magazine

When John Pelletier opened his first Tío Juan's Margaritas restaurant in Concord, N.H., 25 years ago, he wanted to fill the place with real Mexican artwork, handmade furniture and décor. "Not mainstream pieces," he says.

So he and his brother rented a U-Haul trailer and drove from New England to Tonala, a Mexican port city in Jalisco known as an arts hub. They hit the mother lode, coming home with handmade sculptures, paintings, pots and more. The authentic décor became Margaritas' signature as the chain expanded, and none of the 21 restaurants is exactly alike.

Now, every time a new restaurant opens, Pelletier sends a 50-foot trailer to bring back everything from curtains and chairs to tables and hand-painted tiles. And every year he takes members of his staff to Jalisco to soak in the atmosphere. On the verge of opening his first franchises this year, Pelletier talks about how he'll reproduce his "direct from Mexico" philosophy.

Why franchise now?
We've been ready for a long time, but the market and economy have been a factor. Now we have a great franchise development team that's been successful before. And everyone else, from the heart of the kitchen to the executive level, is excited and rowing in the same direction.

Why not just order your décor online?
We don't buy old, traditional stuff. We respect tradition, but we're buying contemporary crafts. Over the years, we've tuned into the Mexican art scene. If something new is going on in Tonala, I know about it and it's on our next truck.

And the staff field trips?
Each year we take six to 20 staff and call it cultural education. We eat and drink and visit the artisans. If managers have been with us for more than a year, we usually bring them to Mexico. We've also taken key cooks, bartenders and support people. We visit our tile factory, our papier-mâché maker, eat street food, take a trip to Tequila. Along the way, they pick up the feeling of what Mexican hospitality is like. Mexico is very customer-centric. Light revolves around the customer. We want to bring that cultural magic back.

How authentic is your food?
We're not here to be called the most authentic restaurant--some of our restaurants seat 480 to 500 people. That's a tough sell as authentic, especially compared with a little place owned by a Mexican family. Pork carnitas, for example--in an authentic taquería, they boil the pork in lard. My customers will not tolerate pork cooked in lard. We think of our food as a remix of traditional and modern Mexican.

What's your favorite margarita?
The one we make with Herradura Anejo is rugged. It makes you feel like you're in Tequila. Give it a little floater on top, and now you're talking.

Click here to see the PDF of this article

Hector’s First In-Studio On-Air Appearance

Hear Hector the Paper Maché Cockatoo’s first live in-studio on-air appearance on FRANK FM.

Click here to listen to the interview

Margaritas' Interview on 107.5 FRANK FM

Hear our own Patrick Dowling, Colby Delisle, and Katie Scott in studio at Frank FM in Portland, Maine.

Click here to listen to the interview

Margaritas on the Lunch Hour at 106.3 FRANK FM

Hear our own Patrick Dowling, Colby Delisle, Jay Foss and Hector the Paper Maché Cockatoo in studio at Frank FM for a lunch break Margaritas style!

Click here to listen to the interview

Margaritas' Interview on 94.9 WHOM

Hear our own Patrick Dowling, Colby Delisle, and Katie Scott in studio at WHOM in Portland, Maine.

Click here to listen to the interview

Margaritas on the Big Lunch Hour at 97.5 WOKQ

Hear our own Bob Hoffmeister and Dave Pelletier on WOKQ being interviewed on everything that makes Margaritas unique!

Click here to listen to the interview

Hear Our Latest Radio Ads

Listen to "Hector" talk about Margaritas!

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Margaritas on Fox Business

See our founder, John Pelletier, on Fox Business talking about how we're bringing Mexico to North America.

Margaritas on Phantom Gourmet

See our very own Paul Timmons showing off our food on the Phantom Gourmet!
Click here to see the video

Visiting Artists Celebrate Heritage - Fosters Daily Democrat

"Acclaimed Mexican artisans bring color, joy of their culture to Seacoast for Cinco de Mayo"
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"Eating Up NYC" - New York Post

A bevy of food franchisers are taking advantage of lower retail leasing costs to ferret out local opportunities.
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Margaritas Plans Expansion - HartfordBusiness.com

Greater Hartford expansion eyed for franchises.
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Margaritas to Expand - NH Business Review

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant chain is launching a franchising program that the firm hopes will bring its fajitas and eponymous cocktails all across the Eastern Seaboard over the next decade.
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Margaritas' VP earns franchise certification - SeacoastOnline.com

PORTSMOUTH — Tom Radomski of Margaritas Mexican Restaurant was recently recognized as a certified franchise executive by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives.

Radomski completed a comprehensive course of study in franchise management offered by the institute, which is the academic branch of the International Franchise Association's Educational Foundation. IFA, the world's largest and oldest trade group representing the franchising industry, includes nearly 1,100 franchise companies, 10,000 franchisees and more than 500 firms that provide goods and services to the industry, hosts the presentation during its annual convention in San Antonio.

Radomski has been with Margaritas Mexican Restaurant since 1996. He currently serves as vice president of franchise development where he is overseeing the company's first ever franchising program. Radomski also serves on the board of directors for the Maine Restaurant Association.

In the United States, more than 1,400 franchise executives from 42 counties are currently participating in the CFE program, including 782 executives who have completed the program and received the Certified Franchise Executive designation. More than 300 IFA-member companies currently have one or more executives enrolled in the program that provides benefits such as specialized knowledge, industry recognition, peer-level networking and professional standing.

Candidates must complete a rigorous course of study to earn the CFE designation, which includes attending institute-sponsored educational seminars and workshops. The program is designed to enhance franchising professionals' understanding of both the industry's fundamental and complex aspects.

Franchise Veterans Get on Board for Franchise Launch - Franchise Update

The south-of-the-border spirit of great Mexican food and authentic art could soon spread through New England and beyond.
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