TECALITLAN OWNER KARLA GARCIA TALKS TECH

POS systems, third-party apps and social media platforms offer myriad ways to help restaurant businesses thrive. Chicago’s Tecalitlan Mexican Kitchen and Margarita Bar has experienced the ins and outs and the rapid advance of technology more than most, considering the restaurant celebrates its 50th birthday this year.

Editor Kathleen Furore spoke with Karla Garcia, who co-owns Tecalitlan with her brother, Juan Carlos, to hear how she and her team are using the technology to drive sales and profits.

Technology Arrives

Technology has changed at lightning speed since Tecalitlan invested in its first POS system more than two decades ago.

“It was when we went from the regular cash registers, those old school ones, to a POS. That was my first encounter with that. I think I was 16,” Garcia says. “My dad was not very technology savvy either and it was all brand new, so he sent me to training because he figured I was younger, quicker at learning. I came back and I helped with training staff.”

While it improved efficiency, the system was very low-tech compared to today’s systems.

“It was just pretty much to take orders and cut down from having to write orders down and give the tickets to the kitchen,” she recalls, noting that it eliminated a problem that was common in restaurant kitchens. “[Kitchen employees] would ask, ‘What does this say? Is it steak? Is it chicken? I don’t know what you wrote,’” Garcia says.

As Tecalitlan grew, so did the restaurant’s need for a more advanced POS system that tackled more tasks. The next one they purchased could keep track of payroll plus liquor and food inventories. “It did a lot more than the first hunk of metal!” Garcia recalls. And it impacted Tecalitlan “big time!” Garcia says.

“Instead of me going through manual time cards every week (those big punch-in cards, remember those?) and trying to add everybody’s hours, the machine did it for me. It used to take us about three days to do payroll — we went from three days to one day, or a day and a half,” Garcia says.

Another plus of the upgraded system was a more streamlined inventory tracking system for the bar and the kitchen.

“For example, when liquor and beer would come in, we would punch in, ‘This case has 36 bottles’, and note that there were now 36 more Coronas on top of whatever we had,” Garcia explains.“ At the end of the night or at the end of the week, we could be like, ‘Okay, how many Coronas did we sell?’ We could go back to see what we bought, what was still in inventory.”

That meant everyone could see if the count was accurate or if something was missing. “We could say, ‘Okay, it’s right on the dot’ or ‘You know what? We’re missing half a case of Corona. Where’d it go?’” she says.

Accuracy and cost saving were the benefits. As Garcia says, it gave her an opportunity to see if any overpouring or comping had been going on.

“It keeps [people] a little more honest,” she explains. I can say, ‘Hey, I just gave you this bottle two days ago and it says you’ve only sold four shots. Why are you out of it?’ It’s kind of the same thing with food inventory, too.”

New Location, New POS

In 2021, Tecalitlan was forced out of the location they’d called home for 48 years. That meant moving everything — including the POS system. That part of the move was simple, Garcia says.

“I just had to unplug it and plug it in again. But then when we got here, we changed the POS system to an even more advanced system,” she says. “I think we’ve been through maybe six POS systems in my life.” She says the one she uses now “is probably my favorite.”

The way the system handles payroll is one of the biggest benefits.

“I can integrate my payroll to the payroll company that processes it. I can just double check it, make sure everything is done right, then just enter the hours and press ‘Go.’ It takes me about an hour at most if I’m not paying full attention, 20 to 25 minutes [when dedicated solely to that]. Before, I would be like, ‘All right, doing payroll, see you in two days!’”

The way the system integrates with third party apps is another plus, Garcia says.

“For example, if I have to change something — like if I have to 86 something — instead of going on GrubHub or on Uber Eats to do it, I can do it on the POS system. I just go in there and it blocks [whatever we’re out of]. That shows up in every app and also for all my staff so they can’t even sell it. They can’t even punch it in. Before, if the kitchen was out of something, it would be like, ‘Hey, 86, the chorizo.’ I’d have to go tell everybody. Now I 86 the chorizo, and nobody can sell it. I love that.”

The overall issue of third-party apps, however, is another story.

“I use them because I have to use them, not because I want to,” she says.

Handheld terminals for waitstaff is another plus Tecalitlan takes advantage of.

“You can get as many as you want. You pay for them, obviously. But I find them so much easier, especially once you know the system really well. And they let you dedicate more time to your customer instead of writing down an order, running to a POS terminal, waiting in line until the other guy finishes sending his order,” she explains. “I feel like they have opened up a little bit more free time. And my older waiters who came with me from the other location that had the stagnant terminals, they’re like, ‘This is so much easier. This saves me so much more time!’”

The system also offers a rewards program that Tecalitlan has opted to use. Customers get one point for every $2 they spend, and can redeem the points on future visits. Two big benefits: It allows the restaurant to collect customers’ emails (which Garcia can use to reach out with information and special offers), and the platform notifies Tecalitlan about customers’ dining habits.

“So, every month, I can focus my [marketing] campaign on people who were here last week, people who haven’t been here in two weeks, or people who haven’t been here in a month,” Garcia says.

The Plus of the Platforms

Tecalitlan entered the world of social media via Facebook, then added Instagram, and finally TikTok.

“I don’t have TikTok for myself because I don’t like it, but I had to get with the times, and I had to do reels and videos,” Garcia laughs. “I tried to do the best that I could, but I realized I have limitations because I’m in my forties. So, I’m like, this is way beyond my ability — these people walking around with the sticks and doing all this stuff, that’s not me!”

The solution: Garcia handles the in-house posts, but pays someone a monthly fee to come in and shoot reels and videos, do the editing, and post [the content] every week on different platforms. “I realized that my time is better spent trying to take care of my customers than trying to edit a 15-second video for three hours. I realized I was not doing that great of a job,” she says.

The approach has led to an uptick in business.

“I’ve gotten customers who say, ‘We saw you on TikTok. We saw this video. You got tagged on this Instagrammer’s page,’ or whatever. Before it was, ‘Get your customers through word of mouth.’ Now it’s, ‘Get your customers through social media.’ If you’re not on social media, you might as well not exist, unfortunately.”

Advice for Tech Shoppers

So, based on her experience with restaurant technology, what advice does Garcia have for her industry peers?

“For sure, I would say to do your homework. Really, really investigate, and see all the pros and cons of each system,” Garcia says, noting that while she considers her current system the best choice for her 40-table restaurant (including patio seating), “there could be a system that could be better-suited for a smaller venue that doesn’t need as much of the stuff that I do.

“If there’s a smaller venue that just has five or six tables, they might not need something so complete because they might not have as many employees. They might not have to worry about the inventory — so, maybe a smaller POS system that’s not as sophisticated [might be the best option].”

Another suggestion: test other systems out there before buying. “I have friends who have other POS systems, so I’d say, ‘Can I come over and try it?’ And they would say, ‘Here, play with it. Do it. Let me know what you have questions on,’” Garcia says.

And once you decide on a system, “make sure you just use it to the fullest potential… if you are paying and investing for a POS system, make sure you’re getting everything that you can out of it, because if not, it’s just going to be a big paperweight,” Garcia concludes.