top of page
Festival en el Jardin de Huesos
Step into a vibrant tapestry of culture and color and immerse yourself in a festive atmosphere filled with dazzling marigolds, intricately crafted sugar skulls, and the rhythmic beats of traditional music. Our lively festival honors the spirits of loved ones, where laughter intertwines with heartfelt memories. Indulge in the rich flavors of traditional Mexican cuisine, sip on vibrant cocktails, and witness a community coming together in joyous unity.
In a small town in Mexico, the Plaza de los Amigos erupts with celebration every year on November 1 and 2, known as Día de los Muertos. The highlight of the town’s celebration is the Festival en el Jardin de Huesos, a food truck festival hosted by the most popular restaurant in the plaza: La Cava del Tequila. This year, everyone’s favorite food trucks are back - Papa Hueso, Caléndulas, Mariposa Móvil, and Calaveras Rodando - and everybody in town is excited to welcome visitors from all over the world to join in their Día de los Muertos celebration.
For this project, we had to work with a story to design a small-scale themed experience meant to engage guests for 45 minutes or less, while still effectively conveying theme, story, and providing goods or services. This was an individual project created solely by myself.
Guest Flow and Experience
Although this experience is taking on the facade of four different food trucks, it is actually one cohesive restaurant. Guests will be able to place mobile orders prior to entering the Plaza. Upon entering, guests will follow the marigold path on the floor through the entrance and walk through the ofrenda room, where they will see a large ofrenda ahead of them and a Dia de los Muertos mural on the adjacent wall. From here, they are led into the main plaza and celebration area. The mobile app will indicate a pick-up window where the order is ready. The pick-up area contains 7 different pick-up windows, disguised as 4 different food trucks. The fourth and smallest food truck that is reserved for more accessible pick-up. Any guest who needs a more accessible pick-up option can head to this window and tell them their original pick-up window to receive their order. Guests who wish to pay with cash can also go to this window to order. Guests will have no interaction with the back of house, and should really be unaware that a kitchen is even there. When a guest is notified that their order is ready, the food will be brought from the commissary-type kitchen to the food truck (from behind the truck; out of sigh of the guests). This gives the impression to the guests that they are getting their food from a food truck.
Once they guests pick up their food, they will be able to seat themselves in the large self-seating area. The tables are spread out with assorted chairs that come from the houses of the townspeople. There is one large table to sit family style, as well as multiple smaller tables. They are adorned with colors, flowers, candles, and papel picado. There is a mariachi band that plays at different periods throughout the day, and when they are not live, festive mariachi music still plays. There are high top tables along the railing that faces the water, for people to wave to guests riding Gran Fiesta Tour. Guests who are on the attraction, or standing in the plaza outside of the fenced in restaurant can still see and hear the celebration and feel the liveliness and vibrancy that it brings to the entire plaza.
bottom of page