Like many Milwaukeeans, I love taking advantage of the fantastic local Mexican dining scene. I enjoy ‘em all, from the gritty paper plate experience at Conejito’s, 539 W. Virginia St., to slightly more upscale Latin eateries like Riviera Maya, 2258 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
This weekend, I met friends at a popular near South Side Mexican restaurant and while there, engaged in an interesting conversation with the owner. I mentioned that I was a big fan of the house chips and salsa, and he thanked me graciously but went on to lament the recent spike in the price of tomatoes. He said the pressure to keep prices affordable and the rising cost of all ingredients -- particularly tomatoes -- was forcing him to consider charging his customers for chips and salsa.
He asked me if I thought free chips and salsa were integral to the Mexican dining experience and if he would lose customers if he charged a small fee. That’s a tough one, and I told him so.
On the one hand, Conejito’s does not offer free chips and salsa, and yet on most nights, the place is packed. However, most diners are conditioned to feasting on bottomless baskets of chips and salsa at the majority of other Mexican restaurants in Milwaukee.
My dinner mates and I discussed this topic at great length (which is a tribute to the potency of the margaritas), and basically, we decided that free chips and salsa add a lot of value to the Mexican dining experience.
On our way out, we recommended in lieu of charging for chips and salsa to increase menu prices just a little bit. This way, diners will feel like we’re still getting something for free in this bare-bones economy.
I’m no Ray Kroc, but this seemed like a reasonable business solution. However, I am still thinking about this today and wondering if free chips and salsa are really that important?
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
