Panem

In 10 years, Panem has grown from a single bakery to one of Monterrey's most recognized bistro cafés, with a product people genuinely love.

We were invited to collaborate on the Panem La Carreta location inside the Tec de Monterrey campus, a location they knew had more potential than it was reaching.

After interviewing employees and students, the perception was clear: the quality was excellent, but the price wasn't. A loyal customer mentioned she struggled to convince her friends to go because they assumed it was too expensive. Another student confirmed this as the word on the street… or hallway, rather.

Panem had a social proof problem with a price perception layer on top.

In the late '90s, Clayton Christensen famously helped McDonald's figure out why people bought milkshakes. Instead of asking, they watched. They found 40% were sold early morning to solo commuters who needed something for the long drive. Nobody would've said that upfront. They had to watch.

We did the same.

The key insight: people rarely came to Panem La Carreta alone. They came in pairs, sometimes groups. One person would order; the other would leave with nothing. This was happening constantly. We named this "el acompañante no comprante" (the non-buying companion). This was a huge opportunity not being capitalized on.

Unlike Panem's other locations, La Carreta operates with a quick bar order-and-go style, making the experience feel transactional and fleeting compared to the longer, more immersive sit-down moments possible at other Panem bistros.

It became clear that Panem was trying to operate La Carreta like any other location. However, this was a uniquely distinct market — different age groups, different purchasing power, tighter time availability, and even different taste. Panem needed to be reframed from being an outsider business inside Tec, to a brand that was part of Tec. From a mere vendor, to part of the culture.

We helped them achieve this through a hyper-localization strategy — designed around niche Tec culture rather than general brand messaging. And who better to lead this effort than us… actual Tec students.

We designed new campus-specific packaging paying homage to the classic Panem illustration style, academic calendar-conscious activations, social combos designed around the companion, Tec-student-first designed promos and dedicated Instagram and WhatsApp channels. Each one was a way of saying: this place knows you — not students in general, but Tec students, during your exam week, in your campus, in your semester.

Panem La Carreta has become the first outside brand with campus-specific visual and experience system at Tec. Their default quick order-and-go experience is now a longer, stronger, and more memorable experience that travels with students across campus and beyond.