Do you live in a very small town where there is not a lot to do in the way of entertainment? If that is the case, those in your community will probably rejoice at the news that you are opening a new restaurant. And, if there is not already a Mexican restaurant close by, you'll have the fun of providing an authentic restaurant setting where delicious traditional Mexican foods will be served to those who come to your new restaurant. From planning the decor to planning the menu, here are some ideas that might help you.

The Decor - Are you building the restaurant from scratch, or are you using an existing building for your Mexican restaurant? Either way, think of ways that you can give the restaurant a very authentic feeling—the feeling one would get from entering a Mexican restaurant in a city like Saltillo, Cancun, or Nuevo Laredo. If you are building the restaurant, consider including arches as part of the design, not only as the entry way, but inside the building, too. Whether you are building the restaurant from scratch or whether you are doing a renovation, consider having a multi-layered water fountain in the middle of a courtyard or even in the middle of the inside of the restaurant. Think of having hand-painted clay birds in the middle of the tables and things like framed ​paper picado, or fancy cut tissue paper, on the walls of your Mexican restaurant. Go for colorful stencils of things like birds, flowers, and butterflies to add to the authenticity of the restaurant. 

The Menu - Of course, you will likely want to offer traditional Mexican foods to your customers—foods like tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and sides like beans and rice. However, consider offering foods that are not always offered in Mexican restaurants. For example, if your family has an amazing recipe for Carne Asada or, for amazing seafoods, consider including those in the menu. Think of authentic desserts that you can offer, too. For example, a regular menu with desserts like Tres Leches Cake and Flan would be great. However, also consider adding things like sweet tamales served with caramel sauce or even fruit, maybe half a cantaloupe with vanilla ice cream served along with it. Will your restaurant be opened for breakfast? If so, think of having a selection of pan dulce and Mexican hot chocolate on your breakfast menu. Breakfast tacos will probably become a favorite, but think of also preparing things like ​huevos rancheros served with quesadillas.