This French Montreal Restaurant Chain Has Nearly 9 Million TikTok Likes — Here's How They Do It

Scrolling through the Mont-Tacos TikTok account is almost overwhelming: uniformed influencers stage dramatic confrontations with elaborate props and high levels of commitment, while others slice and show off cheesy slabs of carb-and-meat-filled tortillas. Just admit it: they look delicious.

Montrealers on TikTok have probably come across the Mont-Tacos account before — it has amassed over 8.9 million likes across its posts, and the Mont-Tacos Instagram has nearly 14 thousand followers.

MTL Blog spoke with Mont-Tacos marketing manager Steve Daniel about the account's success, what it means for Mont-Tacos and how they got here in the first place.

Mont-Tacos "started working with influencers a couple years ago," Daniel told MTL Blog over the phone. "We partnered up with people in Montreal that had great ideas [and] great execution."

The video Mont-Tacos releases are often situational comedy and skits, which requires a level of internet savvy and video experience that only seasoned influencers can provide. These skit-based videos are aiming to catch the attention of younger audiences, Daniel explained.

Daniel's favourite recent video, shared on TikTok as well as Instagram, portrays a pronunciation debacle unique to Mont-Tacos: it's "tacos" with a pronounced "S," even when you're just buying one. In the beloved TikTok, an influencer playing the role of customer orders a turkey "taco" without the s.

Unfortunately for him, this means a visit to the restaurant's "torture chambers" (fictional), where Mont-Tacos employees (lightheartedly and non-graphically) "force" the unwitting customer to learn the right pronunciation.

That emphasis on authenticity is a big part of the Mont-Tacos appeal — bringing the specialty food of French tacos to Montreal is about more than just selling plates. The food's inherent appeal combines with over-the-top, cartoonish comedy to create what Daniel sees as a unique identity for Mont-Tacos.

When it comes time to actually produce new content, the four-person marketing team at Mont-Tacos will sit down and discuss topics and menu items to highlight with their influencer partners, Daniel told MTL Blog.

"It's really a team effort," he said, adding that there is often a noticeable uptick in orders of a particular food after it's been featured in a video on social media.

When asked his advice for aspiring TikTokers — whether brands or individuals — Daniel emphasized consistency, as well as putting yourself out there. "Sometimes people overthink what they have to do to post," he told MTL Blog. "Don't be afraid to post content. Just get your presence out there."