Salsa Shop is changing the fast-casual dining scene with fresh Mexican food. Recently, they launched their new brand identity at the largest location to date: Reguliersbreestraat in Amsterdam, right next to a McDonald's. And that is no coincidence.

Enter Louis Wesseling, the co-founder of Salsa Shop. He’s on a mission to create the largest fresh Mexican chain in Europe. As we’ve learned by this conversation, Louis loves a brand that makes clear choices. Hate it or love it, Salsa Shop is here to stay.

Kollekt.fm music directors Joakim and Sven look after Salsa Shop's strategy for sound.

Louis, what was your goal behind the rebranding?

We wanted to align our look and feel with the quality of our food. It needed to communicate  high quality and a more authentic Mexican vibe. In my experience, the Mexicans stand for no-nonsense dining. Their food deserves the spotlight. Our new branding follows the same principle.

Look at these tables, they’re functional - some of my colleagues even find them a bit boring. But I think they serve a purpose, they highlight the food. And that’s what this rebranding is all about. Less frills, more focus on quality in a relatable way.

How do you balance authenticity with being a chain?

I was inspired by authentic modern taquerias. They have that street food feeling. But here’s an important thing; Salsa Shop still has to feel like a chain. Not too much like a one-off restaurant. We're not a boutique store that only exists in one place. That means no posters telling the story of the founders, no handwritten menus as if we have new menu items every day. That's not what we are.

I have the feeling that people immediately feel when you try to imitate something that you are not. People see through that quite quickly. As I mentioned earlier, we’re all about the quality of the food.

The new expressive food photography on the walls makes me really happy. You see hands pulling apart slow-cooked meat. It’s out there and people will have an opinion about it, but I think it's great when you can have an emotional response to a brand.

"People will have an opinion about it, but I think it’s great when you can have an emotional response to a brand."

What role does music play in the brand today?

To be honest, even though we’ve been working with you for years, I underestimated the power of music. But with the new identity, it’s clear how much it adds: warmth, soul, energy. The response has been incredibly positive. We have a lot of Spanish-speaking employees, and now that the music is really swinging, people even spontaneously start dancing in the kitchen. Their enjoyment of their work is very important to us, so it's amazing to see the effect.

"Now that the music is really swinging, people even spontaneously start dancing in the kitchen!"

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How different is the new sound from what you had before?

It’s a total transformation. We went from a generic summer vibe to something way more distinctive, a playlist that’s exclusively Mexican and Latin American. Just like the food, it goes back to the roots.

I’m not a music expert, so articulating what the brand needed was tough. There are so many styles and sub-genres, and I didn’t want it to feel like a stereotype - no overwhelming accordions or trombones. But we trusted the process, and it worked. 

"The brand and the music now tell the same story."

The music and the brand now tell the same story. Looking back, I don't think our brand was outspoken enough. What we did in terms of branding and music was a bit middle-of-the-road. But now it's definitely more outspoken! We've clearly decided on a direction that drives all of our branding decisions.

So what's next for Salsa Shop?

Our goal is to become the largest fresh Mexican chain in continental Europe. The new location on Reguliersbreestraat, Amsterdam is our largest to date with 100 seats. After Eindhoven, this is the second location to feature our new branding. We are currently taking a serious look at the German market.

We will continue to expand while maintaining the new, confident identity we have created. Every element - from the food to the interior design to the music - now tells the same story. This consistency is the key to our growth.

Ulli Lehner, interior designer

Ulli Lehner from Interior Design Studio Ninetynine has been responsible for Salsa Shop’s interior design Salsa Shop for many years.

A Mexican interior in Europe, does that work?

We realized that the aesthetic of authentic Mexican taquerias works in sunny climates. Places where people seek refuge from the heat. In the Netherlands, we obviously have a lot of dark, rainy days that make us long for some warmth.

Our challenge was to balance that Mexican authenticity with the local context. We developed a warm and functional interior design language that feels right in Northern Europe all year round.

"Our challenge was to balance Mexican authenticity with the local context."

What guided your design choices?

We have embraced a ‘back to basics’ approach. As designers, we are often tempted to make something special out of every element. But for the new Salsa Shop, we deliberately went for understated basics such as stainless steel tables and simple wood paneling.

This idea of simplicity runs through the entire space. The individual components are not necessarily the focal point. But together, they highlight the real hero: the food.

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