el Restaurante, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022 by MaidenNamePress

elRestaurante JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| YO U R S O U R C E F O R M E X I C A N A N D L AT I N F O O D S E R V I C E T R E N D S | w w w.elrestaurante.com |

NOW BLOOMING: Plant-based Menus Sustainability Takes Center Stage el Restaurante’s

9th Annual Mexican Multi-Unit Report

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elRestaurante | YO U R S O U R C E F O R M E X I C A N A N D L AT I N F O O D S E R V I C E T R E N D S | w w w.elrestaurante.c o m |

In This Issue 6

HOTLINE — Celebrating our 25th Birthday!

COVER STORY — Now Blooming: Plant-based Menus By Kathleen Furore, Cover photo by Steven Seighman; courtesy of Chef Eddie Garza

SPECIAL FEATURE — Sustainability Takes Center Stage (in English and Spanish)

BUSINESS BASICS — Make Your Menu Work for You (In English and Spanish)

AT THE BAR — Dessert-Inspired Cocktails

SNAPSHOT — Mama Tigre

AN EL RESTAURANTE EXCLUSIVE — Our 9th Annual Multi-Unit Mexican Restaurant Report

MARKETPLACE (In English and Spanish)

RECIPES

MY FAVORITE RECIPE — Sueños’ Tallarin Verde

ON THE WEB AT www.elrestaurante.com Want more great recipes? Visit elrestaurante.com/recipes to find something for every section of your menu!

editor’s note

elRestaurante | w w w.elrestaurante.com |

Happy Birthday to Us! 25 years. It seems like a lifetime and about a week, depending on the day you ask me! The one thing I’m certain of is that most everything has changed in that quarter of a century.

Kathleen Furore, editor

When we launched el Restaurante (then El Restaurante Mexicano), I was sitting in a rented office space with an empty Rolodex (remember those?) in front of me. Today, I’m working on a laptop from home, tapping the internet to find and contact sources. We no longer wait for huge envelopes of page proofs to arrive by mail — Art Director Ala Ennes emails pages, Publisher Ed Avis and I proof them, then everything is off to the printer via computer, where the magazine is created and ok’d almost instantly. The 3-year-old who once ran around the office is now a budding entrepreneur in Denver and helps with our social media in a pinch; the baby who spent his first few months in an office Pack-and-Play is now a horticulturist by day and helps us with research, when asked, by night. And, oh, how the topics we cover have changed — something I was reminded of when I flipped through some early 1997 issues that included headlines like “Mexican Goes Mainstream” and “Computerize or Fail” (which noted that restaurants “must invest in computers to succeed”). That made it crystal clear that the industry was in the early stages of a metamorphosis when we started 25 years ago — a metamorphosis that continues to this day. Which brings me to our first issue of 2022. We’re starting the year covering what the National Restaurant Association’s just-released 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report calls an top trend: “Streamlined Menus with More Plant-Based Options and Sustainable Packaging.” We planned this issue, which features stories about plant-based menus, sustainable business practices and menu optimization, months before that report dropped. We’re happy to know we’re on the right track, and hope the content you find in the pages that follow help put your restaurant on the right track as you and your team navigate the year ahead.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Ed Avis PUBLISHER Kathleen Furore EDITOR Ala Ennes ART DIRECTOR Elyse Glickman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MAIN OFFICE phone: 708.267.0023 PRESS RELEASES TO: kfurore@restmex.com MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613 SHIPPING ADDRESS 1317 W. Belden Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 AD SALES/ENGLISH Ed Avis 708.218.7755 edavis@elrestaurante.com Suzanne Bernhardt 678.880.9282 suzanne@elrestaurante.com AD SALES/ESPAÑOL Alfredo Espinola alfredo@elrestaurante.com Published by Maiden Name Press, LLC Volume 25, Number1

el Restaurante (formerly el Restaurante Mexicano) (ISSN 1091-5885) is published five times a year by Maiden Name Press, LLC 1317 W. Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614 el Restaurante is distributed by subscription at the cost of $40. All contents copyright© 2022 Maiden Name Press, LLC. Nothing in this issue may be reproduced in any form without publisher’s consent.

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The list of advertisers below is not comprehensive, but it does include those companies that have consistently supported the magazine since its founding in 1997. The year after the company name is the year the company first advertised.

Texican Specialty Products, Inc. ....... 1997

Grecian Delight................................ 2016

Celebrating el Restaurante’s 25th Anniversary!

V & V Supremo Foods, Inc. ................ 1997

Megas Yeeros................................... 2016

BE&SCO Manufacturing, Inc. ............. 1998

Menu Masters.................................. 2016

C.T. Beavers Co. ................................ 1998

NatureSeal ...................................... 2016

Aztecas Design Inc. .......................... 1999

American Eagle Food Machinery ....... 2017

A TRIBUTE TO OUR ADVERTISERS

HS Inc. ............................................ 1999

Cabelleros ....................................... 2017

Land O Lakes ................................... 1999

iTi Tropicals ..................................... 2017

Wow, how can a quarter century have passed since we started el Restaurante magazine? We have several exciting things planned for our year-long celebration (stay tuned for details!), but in this issue we want to recognize the consistent support of our advertisers. Every one of them has contributed in some way to el Restaurante’s success, and in turn, the success of the Mexican/ Latin restaurant community.

Robot Coupe USA Inc. ....................... 2000

MegaMex Foods ............................... 2017

X-Press Manufacturing ..................... 2000

Optimal Automatics ......................... 2017

Culinary Software Services/ChefTec .. 2001

Red Gold, Inc ................................... 2017

Escalon Premier Brands/

Superior Food Machinery ................. 2017

Mama Linda .................................... 2001

Teasdale.......................................... 2017

PanSaver ......................................... 2001

Ardent Mills .................................... 2018

Best Mexican Foods ......................... 2002

California Milk Advisory Board .......... 2018

Lodge Manufacturing ...................... 2002

Casa Madero .................................... 2018

MIC Food ........................................ 2002

Grandeza Spirits .............................. 2018

Neil Jones Food Company ................. 2002

Mayson Food Products ..................... 2018

Bridgford Foods Corp........................ 2004

Rovey Seed Company, Inc. ................ 2018

Somerset Industries Inc.................... 2004

Tortilla Masters ............................... 2018

Dutchess Bakers Machinery Co. ......... 2007

Chile Guy ......................................... 2019

Gran Gala, Gemini Spirits & Wine Co. . 2009

Fetzer Wines .................................... 2019

Tomlinson Industries ....................... 2009

Grain Craft ...................................... 2019

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

La Perla Spice Co. ............................. 2013

Natura’s Foods of California .............. 2019

Sysco .............................................. 2013

Tito’s Vodka ..................................... 2019

This goes to Texican Specialty Products, Inc. This company, which makes tortilla chip serving cabinets, has consistently advertised with us since our very first issue! We are truly grateful for their 25 years of support!

Comstock-Castle Stove Co. ................ 2014

Clarkson Grain ................................. 2020

Folcklor Latino ................................. 2014

Vilore .............................................. 2020

Lacandona Furniture........................ 2014

Energy Solutions ............................. 2021

Novamex ......................................... 2014

Gordo’s ............................................ 2021

Worldwide Beverage Imports, LLC. ... 2014

Performance Food Group .................. 2021

21 Missions Agave/KBWest Inc. ......... 2016

Simplot ........................................... 2021

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

hotline

Top Ten List Highlights Mexican Comfort Classics Mexican cuisine appears headed for great year if predictions from Flavor & The Menu’s new Top 10 Trends edition come true. In fact, seven trends on the magazine’s Top Ten list are applicable to Mexican/ Latin restaurants. Consider how to incorporate each of those trends, as described by Flavor & The Menu below. • Next-Level Charcuterie: Energized by social media, charcuterie boards began their resurgence as the ultimate shareable. • Spanish Bocadillos: Spain’s simple, rustic bocadillo is finding a home on American menus. • Tropical Flavors: With mood-boosting colors, vibrant ingredients and an island-escape sensibility, the flavors of the tropics offer escapism and joy. • Mexican Comfort: Next-level tweaks of craveworthy dishes like quesadillas, taquitos and birria provide safe adventure wrapped in homey comfort. • Plant-based Seafood: Plant-based seafood is starting to make waves on menus, as innovative suppliers introduce alternative products to foodservice. • Savory Hand Pies: Concepts specializing in hand pies have revved up the engines of innovation around items like empanadas. • Bananas: Menu developers can peel back the layers of possibility found in the humble banana: dialing up its tropical tones...or exploring eclectic mash-ups. What’s driving the projected surge in the popularity of those items this year? “This year’s collection of Top 10 Trends signals a shift, whereby younger consumers are indeed in the driver’s seat when it comes to food and beverage trend inspirations,” Cathy Nash Holley, Flavor & The Menu’s publisher/editor-in-chief, explained in a news release about the report. “Our research has proven that social media has advanced to a point at which restaurant trends are becoming inspired by consumer behavior.” The takeaway: Watch popular social media channels to see what your customers are sharing about the foods and drinks they’re making at home and consuming at their favorite restaurants for ideas to add to your menu.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

National Restaurant Association:

2022 “A Year of Transition” In it’s 2022 State of the Restaurant Report, released February 1, the National Restaurant Association predicted that while the industry is on a path to recovery, the year “remains a year of transition.” “The restaurant and foodservice industry has adapted and is carrying on with absolute resilience, so we’re optimistic about the path toward recovery in the coming year,” said Marvin Irby, interim president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, in a press release about the report. The report covers everything from projected industry sales to technology to trends in menu optimization and sustainability. Below are some key findings that show how the restaurant industry is expected to fare: • The industry is forecast to reach $898 billion in sales, with the workforce projected to grow by 400,000 jobs, for total industry employment of 14.9 million by year’s end. • Food, labor, and occupancy costs are expected to remain elevated, and continue to impact profit margins. • Ninety-six percent of operators experienced supply delays or shortages of key food or beverage items in 2021 — and these challenges will likely continue in 2022. • More than eight in 10 operators say

•

technology provides a competitive advantage, especially in off-premise dining. Many plan to invest in online or app ordering, reservations, mobile payment, or delivery management, in addition to back-of-the-house technology. Roughly 50 percent of operators expect recruiting and retaining employees to be their top challenge in 2022. Sustainable, quality- and temperature-retaining packaging options will reign in 2022. Scaled back menus will be the norm. Six in 10 full-service operators say their menu contains fewer offerings now than it did before the pandemic. “While recovery speed varies across the industry by segment, the constant innovation and sustained flexibility of restaurant operators are creating a new future for the restaurant industry,” Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group at the National Restaurant Association, said in a news release about the report. “There will continue to be ample opportunities for growth in 2022 and beyond.”

› To download the 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, visit restaurant.org.

hotline El Charro Café Ventana

The original restaurant

Monica Flin

CELEBRATING A CENTURY: Congratulations to El Charro! THE CELEBRATION IS ON AT EL CHARRO CAFÉ IN TUCSON, ARIZONA. The iconic Mexican

restaurant — the country’s oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family — is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Here at el Restaurante, we’ve been following El Charro since 1997, the year the magazine debuted: We featured the restaurant on its 75th birthday in our July/ August 1997 issue. Some things have remained hallmarks of the

Chef Carlotta Flores, above; El Charro’s signature chimichangas, right

restaurant that Monica Flin founded in 1922. Then a one-woman operation (at a time when it was rare for women to work!), the restaurant still has a female at the helm: Flin’s great grandniece, Carlotta Flores, who runs the business and has had help along the way from family members including husband Ray Flores, Sr.; daughter Candace Flores Castillo; and sons Marques and Ray, Jr., the latter now president of parent company Flores Concepts. Hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and local ingredi-

ents remain El Charro’s calling card. The chimichanga is one of them. It is, after all, Flin’s invention. As legend has it, it was born when Flin started to utter a Spanish cuss word starting with “Ch” after accidentally dropping a burro into the frying pan, but changed her utterance to “chimichanga” (the equivalent of “thingamajig”) because her young nieces and nephews were present. Much, however, has changed in the decades since El Charro began. Expansion, for example, has made it impossible for one person to go it alone.

Today, Flores not only heads the flagship El Charro Café but also is chef/owner of Flores Concepts, which includes three El Charros plus Charro Steak & del Rey, Charrovida, Barrio Charro, Pub 1922, Carlotta’s Kitchen, Sir Veza’s, and The Monica (coming soon to downtown Tucson). She also teamed with bread maker Don Guerra in 2021 to open Barrio Charro, a grab-and-go restaurant featuring signature “tortamano” sandwiches made with Azteca bread. And there’s the company’s Tamale of the Month Club that launched in 2020, too. And business isn’t only about the bottom line. As company information says, “Enhancing lives is part of our company purpose; giving back to each of our communities is basic to our way of thinking.” Congratulations, El Charro — here’s to continued success for a century more!

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Baja Cauliflower Tacos

CHEF EDDIE GARZA PHOTO BY STEVEN SEIGHMAN

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| COVER STORY |

| BY KATHLEEN FURORE | The Google reviews are in. And many of the rave reviews of the cuisine at Chicago’s La Esperanza Restaurant tout its vegan cuisine. “Solid vegan menu with tons of variety...the flautas with vegan meat are my personal favorite with a side of nopales...” “Better vegan fare than more vegan restaurants in Chicago...Ask for the Plant-Based Menu.” “Had the vegan pozole with jackfruit, it was delicious!” One look at the page full of La Esperanza’s plantbased options and reasons for the accolades become clear: It’s a comprehensive offering that includes burritos, enchiladas, flautas, quesadillas, gorditas, sopes, huaraches, nachos, tacos, tortas and pozole made with the customer’s choice of soyrizo, vegan meat, hibiscus birria, cactus, mushrooms, beans and avocado and jackfruit. While it might seem surprising that plant-based dishes rank among favorites from an authentic Mexican restaurant located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, which is rich in Latino culture and culinary traditions, chefs and consultants alike says plant-based cuisine’s time has arrived. “Plant-based alternatives are popping up on menus across the U.S. and beyond.

Restaurants are creating vegan version of ceviche similar to this California Walnut Ceviche with Marquesitas PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD (WALNUTS.ORG)

“Vegetarian dishes generally have lower food costs and higher profitability than meat-based options, especially with the ongoing increases in meat prices...[but] with low demand, they make a relatively small contribution to profitability overall.” — JAN MENDELSON , La Puerta Azul

But this top food trend has been a long time coming,” says Chef Eddie Garza, a plant-based chef, cookbook author, and host of “Global Bites with Eddie Garza” on OzTube, who has been a proponent of the plantbased movement for many years. “In 2018, I partnered with one of the most exclusive luxury hotels in Guanajuato, Mexico — Casa Del Rector — where we developed a series of plant-based menu items for each of the

hotel’s dining establishments to keep up with patrons’ demands.” Restaurant consultant Henry Dominguez, the president and CEO of FoodPro Restaurant Consulting, also sees a move toward this trend. “I am adding more plantbased options to menus,” reports Dominguez, who works with Mexican, TexMex and other concepts on tasks such as recipe and menu development. “Cus-

La Esperanza’s Vegan Huarache with rajas and vegan meat

tomer requests are driving decisions to add plant-based options.”

NOW SERVING... The nice thing about plantbased dishes is that they can work on most any concept’s menu, from casual restaurants to high-scale establishments and everything in between. Take the menus Garza created for Casa Del Rector. “At the hotel’s cafe, you’ll find a plant-based version of the iconic Mexican breakfast sandwich the mollete, featuring house made chickpea ‘chorizo’ and cashew ‘cheese’ among other local favorites done in a plant-based way,”

| COVER STORY |

“We have established a vegan, plant-based appetizer menu similar to our regular restaurant menu that allows couples to have basically the same items, but one being plant-based. In doing so, we have found that some of our ‘meat eating’ customers who have tried them have come to enjoy the plant-based options equally well.” – JERRY MULLANE, Pig Daddy’s BBQ

Garza says. “At its fine dining restaurant, we developed a seasonally rotating plantbased chile relleno, locally sourced jackfruit tacos al pastor, and an array of plantbased small plates, including a delightfully sweet and tart shiitake mushroom and mango ceviche — a house favorite.” A version of Garza’s Baja Cauliflower Tacos is on the menu at Hotel Los Ángeles in Chiapa de Corzo, Mexico, another Mexican establishment he partnered with in 2018. “There, you’ll also find a plant-based version of the regional dish cochito, featuring hyper locally sourced jackfruit from a neighboring

jackfruit plantation,” he says. “Having worked with both of these establishments on paving the way for a plantbased future is one of the highlights of my career.” At La Puerta Azul in Milbrook, New York, owner Jan Mendelson has added vegetarian items including vegetable burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and portobella mushroom fajitas — some that can be made vegan on request. “All of the vegetable items are popular,” says Mendelson, who notes that he’s experimented with both house-made and commercial veggie burgers, as well as Impossible Burgers, on the menu. And while there

Three-Way California AvoTacos, PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA AVOCADO COMMISSION

is “little demand” for those items, a portobello burger, with the mushroom replacing the patty, sells well, he adds. Although the restaurant sits in a rural area where most customers are “fairly meat centric,” Mendelson says he has seen an increasing demand for vegetarian items, although it remains small. “Our existing vegetarian customers do express an interest in more variety, and we try to address that through specials, for example roasted

winter vegetable enchiladas with a chipotle-peanut salsa,” he says. And speaking of meat-centric — even Pig Daddy’s BBQ in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, is experiencing an uptick in requests for plant-based items, according to owner Jerry Mullane. “We have established a vegan, plant-based appetizer menu similar to our regular restaurant menu that allows couples to have basically the (continued on page 16)

Plant-based Dining: A Data-Backed Trend According to the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods continued to increase by double digits in 2020, growing 27 percent and bringing the total plantbased market value to $7 billion. This growth in dollar sales was consistent across the nation, with more than 25 percent growth in every U.S. census region. Plant-based foods sales have grown 43 percent in the past two years — nine times faster than total food sales. In 2020, 57 percent of all U.S. households purchased plant-based foods (that’s over 71 million households), up from 53 percent in 2019. According to Mintel, 63 percent of U.S. consumers between the ages of 24 and 39 believe their nutritional needs can be fully met with a plant-based diet. Data shows the movement is making its way into restaurant kitchens, too. According to a recent report from food and beverage market research firm Tastewise, alt-meat is now mentioned 1320 percent more frequently on restaurant menus than before the pandemic and plant-based meat is now valued at $1.4 billion. The report reflects the findings of a study last year, which found that 9.7 million Americans now eat a plant-based diet. The National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast also highlights the trend. “Plant-based proteins are growing increasingly popular on menus...[and] foods that are believed to have immunity-boosting qualities and plant-based sandwiches make up three of the Top 10 Trends for 2022,” the report says.

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| COVER STORY |

(continued on page 14)

same items, but one being plant-based,” he explains. “In doing so, we have found that some of our ‘meat eating’ customers who have tried them have come to enjoy the plantbased options equally well.” Best-sellers, he reports, are vegan tacos with Briskket, Pulled Porc and Chikon; nachos made with Chikon, Pulled Porc, or Loaded (with Chikon, Porc and Chorisso) and Vegan Flatbread with Porc and Chorisso. What is driving Mullane’s decisions to add these items? “First, customer requests. Second, popularity within the community. And third, internet and TV advertising,” he says.

THE PROFIT POTENTIAL Not only are plant-based dishes healthier for people and the planet; they can be healthier for restaurants’ bottom line, too, restaurateurs report. “The profit impact is great!” says Dominguez. “Cost of sales for plant-based items are 23 percent to 27 percent.” “In our particular restaurant, our biggest cost/least

profitable items are meatbased menu items,” Mullane says. “Plant-based menu items can be up to 50 percent lower in cost and have a higher selling price for similar, same size portions.” “Vegetarian dishes generally have lower food costs and higher profitability than meatbased options, especially with the ongoing increases in meat prices,” Mendelson echoes, but adds one caveat: “With low demand, they make a relatively small contribution to profitability overall.”

GETTING STARTED Restaurateurs who have added plant-based items have suggestions for others who are just getting started. Customer input, all say, is key. “I think the best place to start is always listening to your customers. If some customers are asking for something, try it out and see if it has more general appeal,” Mendelson suggests. “If customers have not expressed an interest in plant-based alternatives, try plant-based interpretations of some more popular menu items and see if there is any demand. While it may seem appealing to try and follow the trend, you need to balance the increased inventory and labor involved

Where to Begin? “Getting started with plant-based menu alternatives doesn’t have to involve a complete menu overhaul,” information from the restaurant supply app Cheetah explains. “Start small to test demand and gradually grow your plant-based menu items according to diners’ preferences.” #1 Start with one plant-based menu option. Add one meatless dish to your specials menu and see how your customers react. A good place to start is a vegetarian winter soup or meatless taco. If demand and reactions are positive, you can gradually explore more options. Be mindful of taste and texture. Diners who choose alt-meat say that these are as important to them as health. #2 Keep it simple. Choose something that your wholesale supplier can support and your back-of-house staff can easily integrate. #3 Make marketing matter. Communicate your new plantbased dish to customers through your website and social accounts. Let diners know that your restaurant is here to look out for their health and palate. Prepare your staff with a one liner like, “I love that dish. It is filling and juicy. I bring it home for my family when I can.” — gocheetah.com

in adding plant-based options with the increased profitability of such items. If there isn’t sufficient demand, the costs may outweigh the benefits.” Dominguez agrees that getting input from customers is crucial, and advises asking team members for input, too. “Then feature one [new] item per day for four weeks,” he says. “Focusing on only one item allows team members to learn the product, and cooks learn how to make one item at a time.”

“Plant-based alternatives are popping up on menus across the US and beyond. But this top food trend has been a long time coming.” — CHEF EDDIE GARZA

Once that experiment is over, Dominguez suggests adding the three most popular items to the menu while continuing menu development and team training. Mullane approaches the task this way: “Ask your customers if they would be interested in your establishment offering an alternative to your regular menu. But do not suggest these items would be healthier than your current offerings. This could be shooting yourself in the foot. Just say you would like to offer an option if they would be interested.” Starting with the appetizer menu first is Mullane’s

What Does Plant-based Really Mean? Adding plant-based dishes to restaurant menus is definitely a trend — but there seems to be some confusion as to what qualifies. The menu at La Puerta Azul in Milbrook, New York, for example, features several vegetable-based dishes. But owner Jan Mendelson says he doesn’t offer what he thinks of as “plant-based options in the modern sense — things like jack fruit carnitas and chicharron de harina.” Forks Over Knives sums it up this way: “Plant-based is food that comes from plants and is free of animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey.” The organization (which works to empower people to live healthier lives by changing the way the world understands nutrition) goes on to explain the differences between plant-based and vegan diets. “A plant-based diet predominantly consists of plants; most people use the term to refer to a 100 percent plant diet, but

some people include small amounts of animal products. A vegan diet totally eliminates all animal products.” A vegan diet also can include highly processed imitation meats and cheeses, information from Forks Over Knives says. Below is a quick overview of the major food categories that can comprise plant-based menu items: • Fruits: Any type of fruit including apple, bananas, grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits • Vegetables: Plenty of veggies including peppers, corn, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, collard greens • Tubers: Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes • Whole grains: Grains, cereals, and other starches in whole form, such as quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat, oats, popcorn • Legumes: Beans of any kind, plus lentils and pulses — forksoverknives.com

preference; he says it will reveal if your customer base will embrace a plant-based menu. “As I said, we had a lot of couples with one diner who suggested they would enjoy their experience more if they could eat similar plant-based menu items as their partner enjoyed our regular meat-based menu,” he concludes. See recipes for Chef Garza’s Baja Cauliflower Tacos, California Walnut Commision’s Ceviche with Mariquitas, and California Avocado Commission’s Three Way California AvoTacos on pages 53-55. Kathleen Furore is the editor of el Restaurante.

The Culinary Institute of America Announces Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit Presented by The Culinary Institute of America, which coincides with the launch of CIA’S Plant-Forward Kitchen education and digital media initiative, the summit will provide the opportunity to learn how to infuse your menu with plant-forward choices; gain insights into winning menu strategies; and receive dozens of new globally inspired plant-forward recipes. plantforwardkitchen.org/gpfcs

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

special feature

SUSTAINABILITY Takes Center Stage | BY KATHLEEN FURORE | Sustainability

has evolved from a buzzword to a must-consider component of running a business in most any industry — the restaurant and foodservice industry included. As the National Restaurant Association notes in its What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast, “Sustainability will continue to influence menus and how restaurants make decisions across the board. From reusable and recyclable packaging to zero-waste options, restaurants are continuing to prioritize sustainable initiatives.” Sustainable packaging, in fact, ranked as the top trend for 2022 among the 350 professional chefs surveyed. According to the report, “It’s likely that many restaurants will make efforts to offer recyclable or reusable packaging in the coming year as consumers continue to rely on off-premises dining.” The forecast also says that plantbased foods, which are part of the sustainability movement, were cited as the second-hottest trend. (You’ll find information about that trend in our cover story that begins on page 12.) (continued on pgs 20-21)

“The sustainability movement will continue to grow this year, with a focus on foods, packaging and business practices that minimize damage to the environment.”

1818el elrestaurante restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022 2022

–NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast

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ia s w it h C al ifo rn Va m p iro Ta co n e la o ti ja , an d Pa M an ch e g o , C ic n ta M o n a at So ca lo , Sa

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MISSION TACO JOINT: A Case Study in Sustainable Business Practices The Green Dining Alliance (GDA) — a restaurant sustain-

least 1,000 tons of landfill waste per year; reduce participants’

ability certification program of earthday365, a 501c3 non-profit

energy consumption; increase sustainable food and product

organization — has multiple sustainability goals: to divert at

purchases; increase environmental awareness among restaurant owners, staff, and diners; and increase the number of restaurants that recycle and compost. Mission Taco Joint (MTJ) is one restaurant company that has earned certification at multiple locations thanks to its efforts to meet many of those same goals. This case study from the GDA describes how MTJ “has grown vastly in its sustainability journey within the past few years” and explains why the company’s Streets of St. Charles location in St. Charles, Missouri, “is a great highlight of that mission.” At the Streets of St. Charles location, Mission Taco made sure to use energy and water efficient appliances to help reduce their usage and, in the process, save money on their utilities. The facility is affixed with all LED lights, dimmer switches, shades on their windows, a highly efficient HVAC system, an ENERGY STAR

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el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

MEAT CUTTER MEAT GRINDER

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certified water heater and ice machine, and so much more. They also use water-saving devices like dual flush toilets and automatic faucets affixed with aerators. Along the lines of food, Mission Taco makes sure to offer vegetarian and vegan options for any customer. Their vegan Soft Taco and Cali Burrito includes a plant-based ground “beef” from Hungry Planet, a St. Louis-based meat alternative company. They also offer an array of vegetarian options like their Portobello Taco, Mushroom Quesadilla, and Mexican Street Corn Fritters. Before the pandemic, MTJ made it a part of their practice to reduce the amount of waste they send out with their customers. With that, they use all compostable to-go materials and they ask customers if they need cutlery and napkins before

The Optimal Automatics Autodoner is ideal for preparing cones of al pastor and other stacked meats. Comes in many sizes and models, including natural gas, electric, and LP.

placing it in their bag. This helps reduce the amount of singleuse waste produced and eventually sent to the landfill and helps build awareness in their customer base. – greendiningalliance.org

CUSTOMERS CARE — AND SO SHOULD YOU If you doubt that consumers are interested in or even aware of how restaurants approach sustainability, resuts of Sustainability in a Pandemic, a survey from C.O.nxt in partnership with Menu Matters, might make you reconsider. The nationwide survey of 750 consumers age 18 and over had two goals: to define aspects of sustainability related to food, and to assess how those issues affect consumer purchase behavior related to food via various distribution channels. When asked the question, “Based on your definition of sustainability, how important is sustainability to you when deciding what foods and beverages to purchase from a supermarket or order from a restaurant?”, 80 percent indicated sustainability is important to some degree, with over half indicating it is extremely or very important. Another telling bit of data the survey uncov(continued on page 22)

Se habla espanol Se habla espanol 847-439-9110 847-439-9110 www.optimalautomatics.com www.optimalautomatics.com

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ered relates directly to the bottom line. When asked, “Considering how important sustainability is to you, to what degree are you willing to pay more to ensure our food system is as sustainable as you believe it should be?”, more than half of the survey’s respondents said they’re willing to pay more for greater sustainability. This was especially true for Gen Z and Millennial consumers — key demographic groups most restaurants want to attract. That’s important to know, considering the way implementing sustainable business practices can impact costs. As the survey notes, “Ultimately, many sustainability efforts will increase the cost of labor, ingredients and energy, which will force food/beverage manufacturers and restaurants to increase their prices.” Kathleen Furore is the editor of el Restaurante.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Sustainability Resource Guide Environmental Protection Agency epa.gov energystar.gov/ epa.gov/watersense Green Dining Alliance greendiningalliance.org Green Restaurant Association dinegreen.com National Restaurant Association Click on the Education & Resources tab restaurant.org

Start saving now! High-efficiency equipment could help you save money by reducing your energy usage With the California Foodservice Instant Rebates Program you could save on high-efficiency equipment for your business. Choose from a variety of qualifying products and get valuable Instant Rebates as a discount on your invoice – no paperwork, no waiting. It’s easy – here’s how:

Find a participating dealer at www.caenergywise.com/instant-rebates

Choose qualifying product

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Eligibility Non-residential customers of SoCalGas , Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E®), Southern California Edison Company (SCE®) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E®) are eligible to receive Instant Rebates. Equipment must be installed in a non-residential location that receives natural gas and/or electricity service from one of the above utilities. ®

It’s Easy no paperwork required

Valuable rebates are available on a range of natural gas and electric equipment for your business. For a full list of qualifying equipment, download the Qualifying Products List at: www.caenergywise.com/instant-rebates

Energy Savings with High Efficiency Major cooking appliances account for almost 35% of the average restaurant’s energy expenditures. Efficient equipment could help decrease your energy use by as much as 75% compared to standard efficiency equipment.1 High efficiency equipment uses less energy and water, which could reduce your utility bills.

Qualifying Equipment Many common makes and models of commercial foodservice equipment qualify for the California Foodservice Instant Rebates Program. Qualifying equipment must be installed at a non-residential site that receives natural gas and/or electricity service from SoCalGas, PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E. The fuel type of the equipment being purchased must match the fuel type of your non-residential account with one of the above utilities.

INT R ODUCING

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Visit elrestaurante.com/culinarycards/ for more information. Culinary Cards — created by Mic Drop Creations in partnership with el Restaurante

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LA SUSTENTABILIDAD se hace el centro de atención

| POR KATHLEEN FURORE | La sustent-

abilidad ha pasado de ser una moda pasajera a ser un componente imprescindible para la gestión de una empresa en casi todos los sectores, incluido el sector restaurantero y de los servicios de comida. Como indica la Asociación Nacional de Restaurantes en su pronóstico culinario “What’s Hot 2022”, “la sustentabilidad continuará influenciando los menús y la forma en que los restaurantes toman decisiones en general. Desde los envases reutilizables y reciclables hasta las opciones de cero residuos, los restaurantes siguen dando prioridad a las iniciativas sustentables”. De hecho, los envases sustentables fueron la mayor tendencia para 2022 entre los 350 chefs profesionales encuestados. Según el informe, “es probable que muchos restaurantes intenten ofrecer envases reciclables o reutilizables el año que viene, ya que los consumi-

“El movimiento de la sustentabilidad seguirá creciendo este año, con un enfoque en los alimentos, los envases y las prácticas empresariales que minimizan el daño al medio ambiente”. –NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

special feature “Nuestra publicidad en la revista el Restaurante fue muy positiva.

Hemos experimentado un aumento en la demanda de nuestros productos y en el conocimiento de la marca entre restaurantes mexicanos/latino s desde que comenzamos con la publicidad, y creemos que es el resultado directo de nuestro trabajo con el editor Ed Avis y su equipo. Siempre sentimos que el personal de el Restaurante se preocupa por nuestro crecimiento en el mercado y trabaja para beneficiar nuestro negocio.” Gordon, Sales Manager, American Eagle Food Machinery, Inc.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

dores siguen confiando en las comidas para llevar”. El pronóstico también predice que los alimentos de origen vegetal, que forman parte del movimiento de sustentabilidad, fueron citados como la segunda tendencia más popular. (Encontrará información sobre esa tendencia en nuestro artículo de la portada que comienza en la página 12).

A LOS CLIENTES LES IMPORTA, Y A USTED TAMBIÉN DEBERÍA IMPORTARLE Si aún duda de que a los consumidores les interese o que incluso sean conscientes de cómo los restaurantes abordan la sustentabilidad, los resultados de “La Sustentabilidad en Una Pandemia, una encuesta de C.O.nxt en colaboración con Menu Matters, podrían hacerle reflexionar. La encuesta realizada a nivel nacional a 750 consumidores mayores de 18 años tenía dos objetivos: definir los aspectos de la sustentabilidad relacionados con los alimentos, y evaluar cómo esos temas afectan al comportamiento de compra de los consumidores en relación con los alimentos a través de diversos canales de distribución. Ante la pregunta: “Según su definición de sustentabilidad, ¿qué importancia tiene para usted la sustentabilidad a la hora de decidir qué alimentos y bebidas comprar en un supermercado o a la hora de pedir en un restaurante?” El 80% indicó que la sustentabilidad es importante en cierto grado, y más de la mitad indicó que es extremadamente o muy importante. Otro dato revelador de la encuesta se refiere directamente al resultado final. A la pregunta “Teniendo en cuenta

lo importante que es para usted la sustentabilidad, ¿hasta qué punto está dispuesto a pagar más para garantizar que nuestro sistema de alimentos sea tan sustentable como cree que debería ser?”, más de la mitad de los encuestados dijeron que estaban dispuestos a pagar más por una mayor sustentabilidad. Esto es especialmente cierto en el caso de los consumidores de la Generación Z y los Millennials, grupos demográficos clave que la mayoría de los restaurantes quieren atraer. Es importante saberlo, teniendo en cuenta el modo en que la aplicación de prácticas empresariales sustentables puede repercutir en los costos. Como se indica en la encuesta, “En definitiva, muchos de los objetivos de sustentabilidad aumentarán el costo de la mano de obra, los ingredientes y la energía, lo que obligará a los fabricantes de alimentos/bebidas y a los restaurantes a aumentar sus precios”. Kathleen Furore es la editora de el Restaurante.

Recursos de Sustentabilidad Environmental Protection Agency epa.gov energystar.gov/ epa.gov/watersense Green Dining Alliance greendiningalliance.org Green Restaurant Association dinegreen.com National Restaurant Association Haga clic en Education & Resources restaurant.org

tización altamente eficiente, un calentador de agua y una máquina de hielo con certificación ENERGY STAR, y mucho más. También utilizan dispositivos para ahorrar agua, como inodoros de doble descarga y llaves automáticas con aireadores. En cuanto a la comida, Mission Taco se asegura de ofrecer opciones vegetarianas y veganas para todos los clientes. Su taco blando vegano y su burrito Cali incluyen una “carne” molida de origen vegetal de Hungry Planet, una empresa de alternativas de carne con sede en St. Louis. También ofrecen una gran variedad de opciones vegetarianas

MISSION TACO JOINT:

un caso de estudio sobre prácticas empresariales sustentables

como su taco de Portobello, la quesadilla de champiñones y sus buñuelos mexicanos de maíz. Antes de la pandemia,

Green Dining Alliance

comensales, y aumentar el

la empresa en Streets of St.

MTJ tenía por costumbre

(GDA), un programa de certi-

número de restaurantes que

Charles en St. Charles, Mis-

reducir la cantidad de re-

ficación de sustentabilidad de

reciclan y hacen abono.

souri, “es un gran lugar que

siduos que enviaba con sus

destaca esa misión”.

clientes. Para ello, utilizan

restaurantes de earthday365,

Mission Taco Joint (MTJ) es

una organización sin fines

una empresa de restaurantes

de lucro 501c3, tiene varios

que ha ganado la certificación

St. Charles, Mission Taco se

able para llevar y preguntan

objetivos de sustentabilidad:

en varios lugares gracias a

aseguró de utilizar electrodo-

a los clientes si necesitan

desviar al menos 1,000 tonela-

sus esfuerzos por cumplir

mésticos de bajo consumo de

cubiertos y servilletas antes

das de residuos de basureros

con muchos de esos mismos

energía y agua para ayudar

de meterlos en la bolsa.

al año, reducir el consumo de

objetivos.

a reducir su uso y, de paso,

Esto ayuda a reducir la can-

ahorrar dinero en sus servi-

tidad de basura de un solo

En la sucursal de Streets of

todo el material biodegrad-

energía de los participantes,

Este caso de estudio de la

aumentar las compras de ali-

GDA describe cómo MTJ “ha

cios. Las instalaciones cuentan

uso producida y eventual-

mentos y productos sustent-

crecido enormemente en su

con todas las luces LED, inter-

mente enviada al basurero y

ables, aumentar la conciencia

camino hacia la sustentabi-

ruptores con regulador de

ayuda a crear conciencia en

ambiental de los dueños de

lidad en los últimos años” y

intensidad, persianas en sus

su clientela.

restaurantes, el personal y los

explica por qué la sucursal de

ventanas, un sistema de clima-

– greendiningalliance.org

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

2022 elRestaurante JAN/FEB/MAR

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It’s our 25th anniversary! We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this milestone year and promote your products to our loyal base of readers, who represent the heart of the Mexican/Latin restaurant industry in the United States.

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NOW B Plant-basLeOOMING: d Menus Sustainability Takes Center Stage el Re

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BONUS DISTRIBUTION AT THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT SHOW & TEXAS RESTAURANT MARKETPLACE

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COVER STORY: Salsas and Guacamole

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BUSINESS BASICS: Food Safety in the Spotlight

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COVER STORY: Tropical Fruit on the Menu

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AT THE BAR: Mexican Liqueurs

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BUSINESS BASICS: Operating a Food Truck

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AD CLOSE: August 25, Materials Due: September 6

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AT THE BAR: Tropical Fruit Cocktails

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AD CLOSE: April 7, MATERIALS DUE: April 12

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COVER STORY: Appetizers & Sides

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BONUS DISTRIBUTION AT THE WESTERN FOODSERVICE EXPO

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SPECIAL REPORT: 8th Annual Independent Mexican Restaurant Report

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COVER STORY: Seafood

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BUSINESS BASICS: Maximizing Online Ordering

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BUSINESS BASICS: Managing Your Social Media

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business basics

Your Menu is a Blank Slate –

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU EDITOR’S NOTE: COVID has changed most everything for restaurants and their customers. The format and content of menus, for example, have been altered. As a December 2021 SmartBrief story about 2022 trends reports, “Supply chain challenges brought on by the pandemic are forcing many chefs and restaurant operators to change menus on the fly and get creative with whatever ingredients they are able to get. The new year will likely bring sweeping changes to menus to accommodate rising food costs and focus on local ingredients that are more reliably available.” Both Technomic and the National Restaurant Association also cite streamlined menus as a top 2022 industry trend. To find out more about how restaurants can optimize menus this year, we turned to Izzy Kharasch, president of Hospitality Works, Inc., a Chicago area restaurant and bar consulting firm. Here he shares some tips with el Restaurante readers.

| BY IZZY KHARASCH | Your menu is the single most effective marketing piece your restaurant has to offer. A menu that is done well can increase the check average by more than 20 percent! This means that you can develop a great menu and increase your current sales by 20 percent without having to bring in one more guest. I am always amazed at restaurants that have an 8½ x11 sheet of white paper, filled with spelling and grammar errors, that they call a menu. The same owners are then surprised when only a few items sell, and the overall check average is far below expectations. Low check averages mean more turnover of staff, and in today’s world that is a real problem.

WHO ARE YOU? Restaurants in the planning stages, and even those that have been open for years, have a common problem:

They lose their focus on who they are. Each owner is trying to please everyone and, by doing so, is creating a menu that is too large with too many items and not enough focus on the concept. In a recent consultation with a Mexican restaurant owner, we developed a menu based on the demographics of a medium-sized midwestern city. This meant that we considered the demographics of the potential customers in the area, their income, age, family size, etc. We created a very focused and well-rounded menu. In the appetizer section we cut down the offerings from twelve to eight. We kept the top eight sellers and then did some new plating to give the items a new look. Under soup/salad there was only one soup and one salad. To give the menu a more healthy-option spin we added 4 salads and another soup. Once the menu was complete the owner came back and wanted JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

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business basics

In the COVID world, our goal has been to remove about 20 percent of the menu items, while keeping the best-sellers so that guests are purchasing those items that do well and those that are most profitable. This also makes the kitchen team more productive. They are not wasting time preparing items that guests are telling us they don’t enjoy by not purchasing those items. to keep everything that we had — but he wanted to add a full taco section, pasta section and a vegan section, too. This would add about 15 new products to the menu while at the same time watering down the concept. We did not add the items that the owner wanted to because it was too far outside the concept. However, we did add two to three items that were in line with concept. For example, since we were increasing the salad section, the owner wanted a salad that had more of a Mexican flare with zesty chicken or beef, avocado and a spicy dressing, so we did add that.

COVID-ERA CONSIDERATIONS Pre-COVID, the focus of menu development was to be innovative and exceptional in product and provide exceptional service to the guests who came in to dine. Before the pandemic, sales

of pickup/carryout/delivery were about 2 to 4 percent of gross. Since COVID, those services can represent as much as 30 percent of gross sales. This means restaurants must look at menu creation much differently. They absolutely want to concentrate on the great inside service they will have. However, their menu needs to be nimble enough to serve the external client quickly, have great product for them to take home — and do it all with exceptional service. My recommendation to my clients has been, “Create the menu for the indoor diner first, then scale it back for pickup/carryout/delivery.” This means that the restaurateur understands that not every menu item travels well, and that the restaurant will only serve its best products in the appropriate places. With the Mexican restaurant client, for the delivery menu we kept all of the

The Magic Bullet? Unfortunately, there isn’t one! There are, however, just a few simple steps you can take to increase your sales through a well-written and well-developed menu. • Print the menu on quality paper. The servers will be proud to hand it to the guest. Remember, this is your single best marketing piece. • Do what you do best. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. • Create a menu for the COVID world. It has to work for the guests inside and those who will be enjoying the menu off-premises. • Review the descending sales report. Evaluate the data and keep only the items that sell. • Design the menu so the guest knows your signature items. Boxing or shading these dishes are two ways that can help call attention to items you’re known for and most want to sell. • Train the staff. The menu does not sell itself. Make sure your team understands the menu and how to promote and upsell.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

appetizers, all of the fajitas, removed all of the salads, and kept the top three seafood sellers

REFINING YOUR MENU If your restaurant has been open for a year or more, it’s time to improve the menu and make it more effective in terms of sales and guest satisfaction. When I work with clients, we start by pulling a descending sales report for the past six months so we know which items have been selling well. Before I review that report, I often ask owners and managers to pick what they believe to be the top 10 items. Most often they may get about half correct — but the reason for this exercise is to make sure everyone understands that decisions must be made based on the reality of the numbers and not just what we think. In the COVID world, our goal has been to remove about 20 percent of the menu items, while keeping the bestsellers so that guests are purchasing those items that do well and those that are most profitable. This also makes the kitchen team more productive. They are not wasting time preparing items that guests are telling us they don’t enjoy by not purchasing those items.

GUIDE YOUR CUSTOMERS As I mentioned, a well-written and well-designed menu can improve your restaurant’s sales by 20 percent or more. I am finding that guests want to enjoy a “taste” of a number of items when they go out to eat. It is why I usually put six to eight appetizers on a menu and make

sure they are sharable. My philosophy is this: I would rather sell one appetizer to share vs. no appetizers. I also suggest highlighting, with a box or some shading, one specialty item you want to sell because it’s a signature item and it’s profitable. Similarly, I would highlight one soup as well as one entrée, basically to entice the guest. Typically these items sell well not just because we highlighted them but because guests are more likely to ask the server questions about them, creating the all-important guest/server interaction.

RESTAURANTS DON’T LIVE BY MENUS ALONE I am finding that operations that use QR codes have lower check averages

than operations that use actual menus in combination with servers. When guests look at the menu on their phone, they are not learning about the items, whether it be food or beverage. They don’t have the ability to ask questions so they order what they know, not what they might want to try. For your menu to be effective, you must train, train, train your staff. Every server, busser and host should have tried most items on the menu. They also need to be trained on each item in each dish. The way to guarantee that you have done this well is to create a menu test. The server who is confident in their menu knowledge is the server with the highest check average. A year ago, we had a restaurant with

a check average of $18 per guest. We did a full staff menu training with menu testing. A pre-shift meeting was held every day to focus on our menu goals for the day. Today that same restaurant is running a check average of $23 per guest. Guests are spending $5 more per person because we have implemented everything I’ve mentioned, including training. This 27 per cent increase in sales for this operation equals $156,000 in sales from the current guests. The bottom line: Menu design, development and optimization works. Put the work into doing it right and it will pay you back many times over. Izzy Kharasch is the president of Hospitality Works, Inc. You can reach him at 224-688-3512; Izzy@hospitalityworks.com.

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

business basics

Su menú es un pizarrón en blanco:

HAGA QUE LE FUNCIONE NOTA DEL EDITOR: La covid ha cambiado casi todo para los restaurantes y sus clientes. El formato y el contenido de los menús, por ejemplo, se han visto alterados. Como informa un artículo de SmartBrief de diciembre de 2021 sobre las tendencias de 2022, “los retos de la cadena de suministro provocados por la pandemia están obligando a muchos chefs y operadores de restaurantes a cambiar los menús al instante y a ser creativos con los ingredientes que puedan conseguir. Es probable que el nuevo año traiga consigo cambios radicales en los menús para adaptarse al aumento de los costos de los alimentos y centrarse en los ingredientes locales que están disponibles de forma más confiable”. Tanto Technomic como la Asociación Nacional de Restaurantes también citan los menús optimizados como una de las principales tendencias del sector en 2022. Para saber más sobre cómo pueden los restaurantes optimizar los menús este año, hemos recurrido a Izzy Kharasch, presidente de Hospitality Works, Inc, una empresa de consultoría de restaurantes y bares del área de Chicago. Aquí comparte algunos consejos con los lectores de el Restaurante.

| POR IZZY KHARASCH | Su menú es el elemento de marketing más eficaz que puede ofrecer su restaurante. Un menú bien hecho puede aumentar el promedio de la cuenta en más de un 20 por ciento. Esto significa que puede elaborar un gran menú y aumentar sus ventas actuales en un 20 por ciento sin tener que traer un solo comensal más. Siempre me sorprenden los restaurantes que tienen una hoja blanca de 8½ x 11, llena de errores ortográficos y gramaticales, a la que llaman menú. Los mismos propietarios se sorprenden luego cuando solo se venden unos pocos platos y el promedio general de la cuenta está muy por debajo de las expectativas. Un promedio de cuenta reducido implica una mayor rotación del personal, y en el mundo actual eso es un verdadero problema. JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

business basics

¿La solución mágica? Desgraciadamente, ¡no hay ninguna! Sin embargo, hay algunos pasos sencillos que puede dar para aumentar sus ventas a través de un menú bien redactado y desarrollado. •

Imprima el menú en papel de calidad. Los meseros se sentirán orgullosos de entregárselo al cliente. Recuerde que es su mejor herramienta de marketing.

•

Haga lo que mejor sabe hacer. No intente hacerlo todo para todos.

•

Cree un menú para el mundo de la COVID. Tiene que funcionar para los clientes dentro del establecimiento y para los que van a disfrutar del menú fuera del mismo.

•

Revise el informe de ventas descendente. Evalúe los datos y conserve solo los artículos que se venden.

•

Diseñe el menú para que el invitado conozca sus artículos de autor. Poner en un recuadro o sombrear estos platos son dos formas que pueden ayudar a llamar la atención sobre los artículos por los que es conocido y que más quiere vender.

•

Forme al personal. El menú no se vende solo. Asegúrese de que su equipo entiende el menú y cómo promocionar y vender más.

¿QUIÉN ES USTED? Los restaurantes en fase de planificación, e incluso los que han estado abiertos durante años, tienen un problema común: dejan de centrarse en lo que son. Cada propietario intenta complacer a todo el mundo y, al hacerlo, crea un menú demasiado amplio con demasiados artículos y sin centrarse lo suficiente en el concepto. En una consulta reciente con el propietario de un restaurante mexicano, desarrollamos un menú basado en

la demografía mediana del Medio Oeste de los Estados Unidos. Esto significaba que tuvimos en cuenta la demografía de los clientes potenciales de la zona, sus ingresos, su edad, el tamaño de la familia, etc. Creamos un menú muy centrado y completo. En la sección de aperitivos redujimos la oferta de doce a ocho. Mantuvimos los ocho más vendidos y luego hicimos un nuevo emplatado para dar un nuevo aspecto a los artículos. En la sección de sopa/en-

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

salada solo había una sopa y una ensalada. Para dar al menú un giro más saludable, añadimos cuatro ensaladas y otra sopa. Una vez completado el menú, el propietario volvió y quiso mantener todo lo que teníamos, pero quería añadir una sección completa de tacos, otra de pasta y una sección vegana. Esto añadiría unos 15 productos nuevos al menú y al mismo tiempo diluiría el concepto. No añadimos los artículos que el propietario quería porque estaban demasiado lejos del concepto. Sin embargo, sí añadimos dos o tres artículos que se ajustaban al mismo. Por ejemplo, como estábamos aumentando la sección de ensaladas, el propietario quería una ensalada que tuviera un toque más mexicano, con pollo o ternera picante, aguacate y un condimento picante, así que la añadimos.

CONSIDERACIONES EN LA ERA DE LA COVID Antes de la pandemia, el objetivo del desarrollo del menú era ser innovador y excepcional en el producto y proporcionar un servicio excepcional a los clientes que venían a cenar. Antes de la pandemia, las ventas de los servicios de recogida/ transporte/entrega suponían entre el 2 y el 4 por ciento de las ventas brutas. Desde la COVID, esos servicios

pueden representar hasta el 30 por ciento de las ventas brutas. Esto significa que los restaurantes deben abordar la creación de menús de forma muy diferente. Deben concentrarse plenamente en el gran servicio interior que van a tener. Sin embargo, su menú debe ser lo suficientemente ágil como para atender al cliente externo con rapidez, tener un excelente producto para que se lo lleven a casa, y hacerlo todo con un servicio excepcional. Mi recomendación a mis clientes ha sido: “Cree primero el menú para quien come en el interior y luego redúzcalo para la recogida/transporte/entrega”. Esto significa que el restaurador entiende que no todos los artículos del menú se conservan bien durante el desplazamiento, y que el restaurante solo servirá sus mejores productos en los lugares apropiados. Con el cliente del restaurante mexicano, para el menú de entrega mantuvimos todas las botanas, todas las fajitas, eliminamos todas las ensaladas y mantuvimos los tres mariscos más vendidos.

PERFECCIONAR SU MENÚ Si su restaurante ha estado abierto durante un año o más, es el momento de mejorar el menú y hacerlo más eficaz en lo que respecta a las ventas y la satisfacción de los clientes.

Cuando trabajo con los clientes, empezamos por elaborar un informe de ventas descendente de los últimos seis meses para saber qué artículos se han vendido bien. Antes de revisar ese informe, a menudo pido a los propietarios y gerentes que elijan los que creen que son los diez artículos más importantes. La mayoría de las veces aciertan más o menos la mitad, pero la razón de este ejercicio es asegurarse de que todo el mundo entiende que las decisiones deben tomarse basándose en la realidad de los números y no solo en lo que pensamos. En el mundo de la COVID, nuestro objetivo ha sido eliminar alrededor del 20% de los artículos del menú, manteniendo los más vendidos para que los clientes compren los artículos que les funcionan bien y los que son más rentables. Esto también hace que el equipo de cocina sea más productivo. No pierden el tiempo preparando artículos que los clientes nos dicen que no les gustan al no comprarlos.

GUÍE A SUS CLIENTES Como he mencionado, un menú bien escrito y diseñado puede mejorar las ventas de su restaurante en un 20% o más. Me he dado cuenta de que los clientes quieren disfrutar de una “degustación” de varios artículos cuando salen a comer. Por eso ha-

En el mundo de la COVID, nuestro objetivo ha sido eliminar alrededor del 20% de los artículos del menú, manteniendo los más vendidos para que los clientes compren los artículos que les van bien y los que son más rentables. Esto también hace que el equipo de cocina sea más productivo. No pierden el tiempo preparando artículos que los clientes nos dicen que no les gustan al no comprarlos. bitualmente pongo de seis a ocho botanas en un menú y me aseguro de que se puedan compartir. Mi filosofía es la siguiente: prefiero vender un aperitivo para compartir que ninguna botana. También sugiero destacar, con un recuadro o algún sombreado, un artículo de especialidad que quiera vender porque es un artículo de autor y es rentable. Del mismo modo, destacaría una sopa y un plato principal, básicamente para atraer al comensal. Normalmente, estos artículos se venden bien no sólo porque los hayamos resaltado, sino porque es más probable que los comensales hagan preguntas al mesero sobre ellos, lo que crea la importantísima interacción entre el cliente y el mesero.

LOS RESTAURANTES NO VIVEN SOLO DE LOS MENÚS Estoy descubriendo que las operaciones que utilizan có-

digos QR tienen promedios de cuentas más bajos que las operaciones que utilizan menús reales con la ayuda de los meseros. Cuando los clientes miran el menú en su teléfono, no llegan a conocer los artículos, ni la comida ni la bebida. No tienen la posibilidad de hacer preguntas, así que piden lo que conocen, no lo que podrían querer probar. Para que su menú sea eficaz, debe formar, formar y formar a su personal. Todos los meseros, ayudantes de meseros y asistentes deben haber probado la mayoría de los artículos del menú. También deben recibir formación sobre cada elemento de cada plato. La forma de garantizar que ha hecho esto bien es crear una prueba de menú. El mesero que confía en sus conocimientos sobre el menú es el que tiene el promedio de cuenta más alto. Hace un año, teníamos un

restaurante con una media de cuentas de $18 por cliente. Hicimos una formación completa del personal sobre el menú con una prueba de menú. Todos los días se celebraba una reunión antes del turno para centrarse en los objetivos del menú del día. Hoy en día, ese mismo restaurante tiene un promedio de cuenta de $23 por cliente. Los clientes están gastando $5 más por persona porque hemos implementado todo lo que he mencionado, incluida la formación. Este aumento del 27% en las ventas de esta operación equivale a $156,000 en ventas de los clientes actuales. El resultado final: el diseño, el desarrollo y la optimización del menú funcionan. Dedique esfuerzo a hacerlo bien y le compensará ampliamente. Izzy Kharasch es presidente de Hospitality Works, Inc. Póngase en contacto con ellos en el 224-688-3512; Izzy@hospitalityworks.com.

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

at the bar

BY ELYSE GLICKMAN Creamy frozen coconut margaritas rimmed with sweetened shredded coconut. A coffee cocktail that borrows ingredients from tres leches cake. A spiked alcoholic beverage that mimics horchata and comes in a chocolate-and-cookie crumb-rimmed glass. Those are just a few examples of dessert-inspired cocktails that celebrate Latin American culinary traditions – drinks that can double as desserts and sweeten your bottom line, too.

Dessert-Inspired Cocktails Get a Latin Twist

Frozen Coconut Margaritas PHOTO FROM HUNGERTHIRSTPLAY.COM

THE LIBATION-LATIN DESSERT CONNECTION Classic Latin American desserts and beverages (think tres leches cake, flan, horchata and Mexican hot chocolate) are natural starting points for dessert cocktails. At Reyes Mescaleria in Orlando, Florida, for example, Beverage Director Lorena Castro borrows components from the dessert menu behind the bar, where she turns to tres leches milk to craft the Night Owl – her take on an Espresso Martini. “Instead of vodka, we utilize Ilegal Mezcal Reposado paired with coffee liqueur and the house made tres leches milk mixture that we normally use for a dessert called Güera Cake [a combination tres leches cake and flan],” says Castro. Topping off the cocktail: a sprinkle of Abuelita Chocolate dust. Also on the Reyes Mescaleria menu: the Chai-Chata: chai spice-infused Espolòn blanco, Ancho Reyes, Southern Amaro, Giffard banana and house made horchata – a cocktail the restaurant’s Instagram post claims, “The best way to finish your

1½ oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka ½ oz orange liqueur 2 oz lime juice

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with or without fresh ice. Garnish with a lime slice. Pro-Tip: If you like it salty, use a glass with a salt rim.

¼ oz agave

For more cool cocktails, visit titosvodka.com

at the bar

Reyes Mescaleria’s The Night Owl FIVE 55’s Dirty Horchata

Reyes Mescaleria’s Chai-Chata

meal tonight!” Abuelita Chocolate also is the go-to dessert ingredient in the popular cocktail To Abuela’s House We Go at The Fairmont Grand del Mar in San Diego. Spiked with Avion Reposado Tequila and Licor 43 liqueur, the drink is reminiscent of the iconic holiday song, according to Christopher Bureau, beverage manager and sommelier. “We drew inspiration from the amazing Hispanic culture ingrained in the San Diego region for an adult version of the beloved winter beverage,” Bureau explains. “Blending culture with mixology is what makes this cocktail special, and my favorite for this time of year.” At Five55 in Monterey Park, California, lead bartender Nicholas Jackson creates the Dirty Horchata, a mix of whisky, Irish Cream, and Bananas Foster Liqueur served in a chocolaterimmed glass garnished with a cookie crumb rim and lightly sprinkled with grated cinnamon. It is Jackson’s creative rendition of the creamy Mexican rice milk drink, and works well with Latin-inspired fare, he reports.

well-balanced cocktail using a digestif can be very appealing after a meal.” Consider the fruit-forward Flor de Mayo mezcal cocktail at Oh! Mexico restaurant in Miami Beach. Reniel Garcia, beverage manager of the restaurant’s parent, Miami-based V & E Restaurant Group, says guests frequently order the Flor de Mayo as a dessert cocktail because of “the mix of fruits, including fresh pureed mango, and agave nectar...and the freshness of mint combined with fresh lime juice and cranberry juice, which make it both sweet and strong at the same time.” At the Hilton in Cartegena, Colombia, Fabian Chacón, food & beverage manager, says the menu is primarily focused on signature cocktails, done in a sherbet dessert style that blends local fruits and compatible spirits (rum is a favorite). “We combine local fruits like corozo, maracuya (passion fruit), and mango with a base spirit and house-made sour mixes,” Chacón says.

MORE THAN LIQUEURS AND SWEET RIMS

In this era of Instagrammable dishes, one picture can be worth 1,000 words — so it makes sense for bar pros to give dessert cocktails star treatment. “A good photo will always be like the first sip,” Garcia says. “Social media is absolutely the way to go when promoting dessert cocktails.”

Cocktails that incorporate fruit with spirits like tequila, whiskey, rum and mezcal also can be the sweet finales to a delicious Mexican dinner. As Castro says of dessert cocktails, “...they don’t always have to be sweet and creamy. A

PRESENTATIONS AND PROMOTIONS MATTER

at the bar

Highlighting the Carajillo

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If you want to add a cocktail that originated in Spain and has become a favorite in Mexico, try the Carajillo. Mexican Food Journal describes the Carajillo as “an integral part of restaurant culture in Mexico, particularly in Mexico City” that is “served as an after-dinner digestif or as a dessert course.” The drink features espresso and Licor 43, a Spanish vanilla liqueur made with citrus and fruit juices and 43 aromatic herbs and botanicals. Torrence Swain, the east coast regional director for El Silencio, advises bartenders to put a unique spin on the cocktail to create signature recipes. “By introducing new flavor components to a traditional coffee cocktail with spirits like mezcal, with its more complex flavor profile, what was once a post-dinner cocktail becomes a fixture for both day and night, to be enjoyed hot or cold,” he says. The Vito’s Coldbrew at Basque-inspired SASA in Pasadena ups the Carajillo’s profile by adding bourbon to the espresso and Licor 43, then topping the cocktail with orange cream and churro dust. The cocktail was newsworthy enough to be featured in PureWow, a digital publication that showcased the drinks in the feature “Where to Sip Coffee Cocktails in LA.”

Ruben Plascencia, general manager at La Bodeguita De Mima Cuban Restaurant & Bar in Louisville, Kentucky, understands the importance of presentation. “We aim to be a part of making memories and a real experience, and that centers on outstanding presentation,” says Plascencia, who says one of the restaurant’s most popular, Instagrammable cocktails is the Santeria. The 38-ounce, flower-sprinkled cocktail-for-two is an eye-catching combination of red wine, spiced rum, brandy, agave and hibiscus, plus lemon and lime slices that arrives

bubbling and smoking thanks to the addition of a little dry ice. Making sure customers know the cocktails that work well as after-dinner sipping is important, too. Strategies include creating a standalone dessert menu that includes cocktails, cordials and coffees, and incorporating dessert cocktails into the specials of the day, Garcia adds. Elyse Glickman, a Los Angeles-based freelance writer who specializes in writing about the beverage industry, is the regular At the Bar columnist for el Restaurante.

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snapshot

“I find people are ready for the spicier flavors and the complexity. They say, ‘Give me clove, give me cinnamon, give me star anise.’ I’ve become to feel like an artist. I’m using spices the way a painter would, adding them to dishes to create another layer of taste and flavor.” – RENU PRAKASH

MAMA TIGRE:

Uniting Cultures with Cuisine

| BY ED AVIS | Mixing Mexican cuisine with other ethnic flavors is not new — many fusion cuisines have appeared in recent years. But the owners of Mama Tigre in Oakton, Virginia did not develop their fusion of Mexican and Indian food just because it tastes great. They also wanted to unite people. “We wanted to bring cultures together,” says Renu Prakash, who owns Mama Tigre with her husband Ajay Prakash. “We wanted to convey the idea of getting together, of sharing. Let’s not say the food tastes Mexican or Indian, let’s just say it tastes great. And we’re not just Americans or Indians or brown or black or blue, we’re all in this together.” Mama Tigre opened in the summer of 2020, but the idea of combining Indian and Mexican flavors was brewing in Prakash’s mind since the couple opened

“We wanted to convey the idea of getting together, of sharing. Let’s not say the food tastes Mexican or Indian, let’s just say it tastes great. And we’re not just Americans or Indians or brown or black or blue, we’re all in this together.” – RENU PRAKASH

their first restaurant, Café 10, in 1983. That restaurant focused on healthy sandwiches and salads, but when they did a “Taco Tuesday” special, the line was out the door. “We figured, ‘Wow, there’s something good about a taco,’” says Prakash. “That’s where our journey began to explore the cuisine, traveling to Mexico a few times a year, going to roadside cafes and little corner restaurants in small cities in Mexico to really explore the food.” The couple, who met when they were teenagers in Mumbai, India, quickly noticed the parallels between Mexican and Indian cuisine. Both cultures incorporate a variety of peppers and chiles in their food, as well as ingredients such as cumin and cilantro. And many Mexican dishes have twins in India. Mexican lamb birria, for example, is similar to rogan josh, an intense Indian lamb stew.

Why “Mama Tigre”? Mama Tigre translates to tiger mom, and Prakash feels like she is the tiger mom of the restaurant. “There is a depiction in Indian mythology of the goddess Durga who rides a tiger,” Prakash says. “It depicts the woman’s capability of being on two extremes – you are the most loving, kind and nurturing, but also you can ride the tiger, you can tame the tiger. So that’s for me. I’ve felt that in the last years there has been a lot of male energy in the world that is aggressive and selfish. There was an unbalance. We needed more feminine energy to bring understanding. So, there’s a lot of female energy in this restaurant. Mama Tigre conveys that I’m doing all I can to bring you good food and nurturing, but I’m not weak. We’re bringing balance to this world.” In 1987, the couple opened Casa Rico in Frederick, Maryland; over subsequent decades they opened 10 Casa Ricos and one restaurant called Tequila Grande. The food in those restaurants was decidedly Mexican, but Prakash occasionally slipped in some Indian flavors to add complexity. “I was using some Indian ingredients all along, but it was in a subtle manner,” Prakash says. “I was feeling a little guilty about that. So, when I opened Mama

Tigre, it was, ‘Hey, let’s just be out there and tell the world this is what we do.’ Mama Tigre is using the mixed cuisines in a very bold way, and those are the most popular dishes on the menu. I find people are ready for the spicier flavors and the complexity. They say, ‘Give me clove, give me cinnamon, give me star anise.’ I’ve become to feel like an artist. I’m using spices the way a painter would, adding them to dishes to create another layer of taste and flavor.” JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

snapshot

“I believe we have a moral responsibility to share our talents. They should not be used just to make money — they must be used for bigger purposes, to spread the feeling of solidarity, to make us all become aware of one another.” — RENU PRAKASH Prakash’s artistry in mixing the cuisines is evident in Mama Tigre’s menu. Consider the Crispy Cauliflower Tacos, which are described as “Spice rubbed charred cauliflower, exotic tikka masala sauce, sesame seeds, queso fresco, spicy mango chutney.” Or the Chicken Tikka Fajitas — “Spicy! With basmati rice, charro beans, toasted naan bread, habanero-mint-cucumber crema, jalapeños, pickled onions.” Or the Masala Enchiladas, which are topped with “a spicy queso-tikka masala sauce.”

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Those dishes express the union of cultures that Prakash aims for. “I believe we have a moral responsibility to share our talents,” she says. “They should not be used just to make money — they must be used for bigger purposes, to spread the feeling of solidarity, to make us all become aware of one another.” Mama Tigre has thrived, despite opening at the height of the pandemic, and Prakash says they may open one or two more locations. They don’t want to expand to the point where they can’t be intimately involved. “We all want to stay very much involved, so the restaurant has the personal touch it’s supposed to have,” she says. “We want customers to always feel that energy and passion.”

chain report

2022 MEXICAN MULTIUNIT REPORT:

COVID Has Not Slowed

GROWTH ABOUT OUR DATA: The information that allows us to create the Top 50 Mexican MultiUnits list comes from several sources. It starts with data from restaurantdata.com, which compiles multi-unit information year around. In many cases, we further refine the data by visiting the multi-units’ websites, reviewing their press or investors’ material, and talking with company representatives. The numbers are not 100 percent accurate – chains open and close locations constantly – but we believe they are the most accurate available.

| BY ED AVIS | COVID affected many aspects of the Mexican/Latin restaurant business, but it did not stop the growth for many multiunits. In fact, our research shows that the number of units operated by the largest 50 multi-unit brands has steadily climbed since the pandemic hit, from 15,811 units in 2020 to 16,702 units this year. This stands to reason, as most multi-units offer robust

delivery, drive-through and/ or patio service. It’s probable that all of the top 50 multiunits offer delivery, at least with a third-party service, and 17 of the top 50 have drive-throughs at most or all of their locations. Furthermore, a majority of them — 35 out of 50 — have patios as part of their store design, allowing them to serve clients on-premise even when dining rooms were shut down. New to the Top 50 list

this year are Velvet Taco and Fajita Pete’s. Velvet Taco, based in Dallas, has steadily added units during the pandemic. The restaurant is known for its gourmet tacos — such as the Chicken and Waffle taco, the Falafel taco, and the Korean Fried Rice taco — and lively dining rooms that stay open late. It debuts at 43rd place on our list, with 30 units. The company, founded in 2011, says it will have 40 units by the end of 2022. Fajita Pete’s, founded in Houston in 2008, opened a dozen locations in 2021 and debuts on our Top 50 list at 48th place, with 27 locations. As the name implies, the restaurant specializes in fajitas, with several “family size” options on its menu. Part of Fajita Pete’s success is due to its focus on off-premise

dining, which definitely has helped since COVID started. Read on to learn about the growth strategies of two other Mexican multi-units, Barberitos and Freebirds World Burrito.

BARBERITOS LEARNS FROM COVID Downing Barber, owner of burrito chain Barberitos, is looking forward to growth in his company as COVID and other challenges ease. Barberitos has 51 locations spread from Virginia to Florida. “We were growing rapidly before COVID, and then over COVID we lost three or four stores and now we’re back growing again,” says Barber, who founded the restaurant in 2000. “We have four stores in construction now.” Barber says COVID taught his company a few lessons

Food • Community • People JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

chain report

STATES WITH MOST CHAIN HEADQUARTERS

el Restaurante

Texas

TOP 50 MEXICAN CHAINS RANK 2022

RANK 2021

RESTAURANT

UNITS

RANK 2022

RANK 2021

California 14 Georgia

Arizona

RESTAURANT

UNITS

TACO BELL

7588

TACO DEL MAR

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL

2788

34 (tie)

BUBBAKOOS BURRITOS

QDOBA MEXICAN EATS

764

CHRONIC TACOS

MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL

691

TACO MAYO

FREEBIRD’S WORLD BURRITO

DEL TACO

599

EL POLLO LOCO

480

WAHOO’S FISH TACO

TACO TIME

400

BARBERITOS

TACO JOHN’S

393

34 (tie)

POLLO REGIO

TACO CABANA

166

JIMBOY’S TACOS

40 (tie)

EL NOPAL

10 (tie)

BAJA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

158

10 (tie)

RUBIO’S COASTAL GRILL

158

CALIFORNIA TORTILLA

13 (tie)

FUZZY’S TACO SHOP

145

38 (tie)

RUSTY TACO

13 (tie)

TACO BUENO

141

38 (tie)

UNCLE JULIO’S MEXICAN FROM SCRATCH

10 (tie)

ON THE BORDER MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

137

38 (tie)

PLAZA AZTECA MEXICAN RESTAURANTS

40 (tie)

PEPE’S MEXICAN RESTAURANTS

CAFE RIO

130

TIJUANA FLATS BURRITO COMPANY

123

42 (tie)

EL TORITO AUTENTICO

TORCHY’S TACOS

100

42 (tie)

WILLY’S MEXICANA GRILL

CHUY’S

44 (tie)

FILIBERTO’S MEXICAN FOOD

46 (tie)

TACO PALENQUE

VELVET TACO

COSTA VIDA FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

44 (tie)

TACO CASA TEXAS

44 (tie)

HOT HEAD BURRITOS

42 (tie)

ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD

SALSARITA’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

46 (tie)

SANTIAGO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

ALBERTO’S MEXICAN FOOD

49 (tie)

48 (tie)

AMIGOS KINGS CLASSIC

48 (tie)

LUPE TORTILLA

48 (tie)

TACO MAC

FAJITA PETE’S

TACO MAKER

49 (tie)

PANCHERO’S MEXICAN GRILL

49 (tie)

ROBERTO’S TACO SHOP

49 (tie)

ALCOHOL SERVICE

HAS A PATIO

HAS A DRIVE-THRU

PRIMARY DISTRIBUTOR

(Among Top 50 Multi-Units):

None = 36%

No = 30%

Full Bar = 22% Yes = 70% Beer/Wine Only = 42%

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Yes = 34% No = 66%

• Sysco ...........28% • US Foods ......22% • McLane/MBM ..6% • Reinhart.........4% • Gordon ...........4% • Other ...........36%

“IN ORDER TO MAKE THE WHEELS STILL RUN WE HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY. AT THE END OF THE PANDEMIC I HAVE HOPE THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO RUN OUR RESTAURANTS LEANER AND MEANER. WE STILL HAVE GOOD SALES AND CONTINUE TO GROW THE ONLINE BUSINESS. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK IT WILL ALL WORK ITSELF OUT.” — DOWNING BARBER, Barberitos

that should help it thrive in the years ahead. For example, the restaurants, which have no drive-throughs, have mastered online ordering and working with the delivery services, which was essential when dining rooms were closed. And a lingering COVID effect — staffing challenges — has forced the restaurants to operate with fewer people. One way they make do with less people is to spread out the prep work. Rather than get everything done at once in the morning, now some tasks are done during slow periods in the rest of the day, Barber says.

“In order to make the wheels still run we have to do some things differently,” he says. “At the end of the pandemic I have hope that we’ll be able to run our restaurants leaner and meaner. We still have good sales and continue to grow the online business. So at the end of the day, I think it will all work itself out.” Barberitos is 100 percent franchised — there are no company-owned stores. Barber himself owns four franchises, which he says helps him understand what other franchisors have to deal with.

“We’re all in it together,” he says of the all-franchise philosophy. “There’s no ‘corporate’ anything, that word is not even allowed. It’s been a good mentality. I don’t want people saying, ‘You can do it because you’re a corporate store.’ No, we all have to do it the same. I go wash the dishes just like you would. I kind of like it — I can go hang out in the back and just be with myself.” Barber says he would like to add locations beyond the Southeast, but doing that would require an expansion of the company’s supply network. They currently use five Sysco warehouses as distribution centers. Adding other Sysco facilities to their network would only make sense if there were enough Barberito’s locations in the vicinity. “We pack these houses with product so that we have efficiencies,” he says. “As the supply chains get back to normal, we’ll look at moving beyond the Southeast, because we do a fine job competing against all the national brands.” Barber adds that the restaurant’s competitive edge is the quality of the cuisine. Everything is made fresh in each restaurant daily, including the salsas, guacamole, hot sauce, meat marinades and salad dressings: “I think it’s the only thing that helps

us compete,” he says. “I can’t say we’re the fanciest or the prettiest, but we have the best-tasting food.”

FREEBIRDS INNOVATES AND GROWS Freebirds World Burrito, located entirely in Texas, opened four units in the fourth quarter of 2021 – to bring their total to 57 – and is hitting the gas in 2022. “We expect to double in size over the next five years, if not sooner,” says Alex Eagle, the company’s CEO. “We are expecting 20 percent growth year-over-year with at least 10 new locations in 2022.” In contrast to Barberito’s, all Freebirds locations are company owned. Eagle says franchising is not in the company’s plans. Freebirds’ growth is being accompanied by a fresh look that was rolled out to all locations in 2021. A series of murals on the dining room walls are key to the new design. A mural of blue and white clouds titled “It’s Your World” dominates one wall, and a graffiti-like mural on another wall spells out “Welcome to Freebirds.” The restaurants also received new custom-made wooden interior tables and chairs and the patios were updated with new chairs and updated umbrellas. “Every brand needs to

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

chain report

“We expect to double in size over the next five years, if not sooner. We are expecting 20 percent growth year-over-year with at least 10 new locations in 2022.” — ALEX EAGLE, Freebirds World Burrito

refresh and update to stay relevant,” Eagle says. “So far the new designs have been very well received. People love our new patios.” Innovation is also part of the company’s growth plan. For example, the company is developing a plan to test a series of robotic “takeout stations” that will serve freshly made hot meals in locations such as office complexes, airports and hospitals. Freebirds has partnered with tech company Now Cuisine on the program, which was announced in late 2021. “The reason Freebirds partnered with Now Cuisine was because of their innovative technology which ensures every burrito bowl is fresh and made to order,”

Eagle says. “Instead of one driver delivering one meal at a time, these will help meet consumer demand for prepared meals that are faster, fresher, and cheaper in a more environmentally friendly way.”

INNOVATION LEADS THE WAY Naturally, Freebirds isn’t the only Mexican/Latin multiunit expanding the use of innovation. A long list of them adopted some kind of new technology in 2021. For example, Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill, which is number 22 on the Top 50 list, launched a new inventory and scheduling software suite — Data Central from PAR — in September. “What used to take days

to pull data for reports now takes less than an hour with Data Central,” said Tim Carter, Salsarita’s CFO, in a press announcement. “There’s also been significant time savings for our administrative staff with more efficient data flows using the system.” Qdoba, the third largest chain on our Top 50 list, adopted a customer service management program from Service Management Group in 2021. The program allows the company to get feedback from customers and gauge their sentiment, even from unstructured answers. Speaking of customer engagement, Del Taco, which is number 5 on our list, developed a new techbased loyalty program in 2021 called Del Yeah! The app uses technology from Sparkfly to integrate with the restaurant’s POS system and facilitate customer redemption of loyalty points. Finally, El Pollo Loco, which is number 6 on our list, turned to GPS in 2021 to improve its curbside pickup service. The customer places an order on the El Pollo Loco app, drives to the restaurant and parks in the lot, and the system notifies the restaurant that the customer has arrived. Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante.

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

El Pollo Loco Honors its Mexican Roots with James Beard Campaign El Pollo Loco, which has 480

have built our brand,” says

campaign to get more

other promotions. The James

units and sits at number 6 on

Andy Rebhun, senior vice

Hispanic nominees in the

Beard Award semifinalists will

our Top 50 list, believes that

president of marketing. “We

2022 James Beard Awards.

be announced February 23.

acknowledging its Mexican

want to honor the culture

The effort, called “For Your

roots is key to success. The

of both the community

Consideration,” emulated

celebratory and positive

recipe for its famous chicken

we were built from and

the promotional campaigns

across the board,” Rebhun

came from Mexico, and the

the communities we serve

movie studios undertake

says of the campaign. “The

company works hard to

today.”

to get their stars and films

James Beard Foundation was

honor the culture behind the brand. “El Pollo Loco wouldn’t

Last September El Pollo

“The public response was

nominated for Academy

receptive, and the 11 partici-

Loco put a spotlight on

Awards. The campaign, which

pating chefs were thrilled

the role of the Hispanic

highlighted 11 Hispanic chefs,

to represent the community.

exist without the tradition

community in the restaurant

included a full-page print ad

All in all, we achieved our

and cultural influences that

industry by initiating a

in the New York Times, among

goals tenfold.”

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

marketplace/el mercado

Be Green Sustainable Foodservice Packaging. Developed from natural fibers, rapidly renewable and responsibly sourced, Be Green provides foodservice packaging that meets regulatory requirements while protecting your food and the planet. Stock and custom foodservice products including bowls, clam shells, trays, cup lids and more. 805-456-6088; begreenpackaging.com

Envasado de plástico sustentable de Be Green. Creado a partir de fibras naturales, rápidamente renovable y de origen responsable, Be Green ofrece envasado de alimentos que cumple con los requisitos reglamentarios al mismo tiempo que protege sus alimentos y al planeta. Entre los productos en existencia y personalizados para servicios alimenticios se encuentran tazones, charolas, bandejas, tapas y más. 805-456-6088; begreenpackaging.com

Firme Mezcal. This artisan brand of mezcal — inspired by Chicano art, culture and religion — is produced in a distillery in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca that is operated by the third generation of Mezcaleros. Available in 100% Espadin and Ensamble with Espadin/Tobala varieties. firmemezcal.com/

Firme Mezcal. Esta marca artesanal de mezcal (inspirada por el arte, la cultura y religión chicanas) se produce en una destilería en Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca que es operada por la tercera generación de mezcaleros. Disponible en 100 % Espadín y Ensamble con variedades de Espadín/Tobala. firmemezcal.com/

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Modern Menu Plant-based Taco Filling. This fully cooked and seasoned filling by Loma Linda is made from non-GMO, ethically sourced, sustainable plant proteins — lets you offer your vegan, vegetarian and flextarian customers a consistent product every time. Great as a ground beef replacement in tacos, tamales burritos, bowls and more. Saves labor, too. 310-850-6940; modernmenufoods.com

Relleno a base de plantas para tacos de Modern Menu. Este relleno completamente cocido y condimentado de Loma Linda está hecho de proteínas vegetales sustentables, de origen ético y sin GMO; le permite ofrecer a sus clientes veganos, vegetarianos y flexitarianos un producto consistente todo el tiempo. Excelente como sustituto de carne molida en tacos, tamales, burritos, tazones y más. También ahorra trabajo. 310-850-6940; modernmenufoods.com

Before the Butcher UNCUT Plant-based Chorizo. The main source of protein for this vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO plant-based chorizo is made from a proprietary combination of soy, coconut oil, canola oil and natural seasonings...looks, cooks and eats like real meat. Use in enchlladas, breakfast tacos or any dish that calls for ground chorizo. btbfoods.com Chorizo a base de plantas UNCUT de Before the Butcher. La fuente principal de proteína de este chorizo a base de plantas vegano, sin gluten y sin GMO está hecha de una combinación patentada de soya, aceite de coco, aceite de canola y condimentos naturales... se ve, se cocina y se consume como carne de verdad. Úselo en enchiladas, tacos para el almuerzo o cualquier platillo que requiera chorizo molido. btbfoods.com

La Querendona Mexican Salsas. These salsas bring authentic, homemade Mexican flavors to your restaurant customers. Available in packets, plastic cups, glass bottles and large plastic jugs to meet all of your service needs. Email sales@laquerendona.com; laquerendona.com

Salsas mexicanas de La Querendona. Estas salsas llevan los sabores mexicanos auténticos y caseros a los clientes de su restaurante. Disponibles en paquetes, vasos de plástico, botellas de vidrio y jarras grandes de plástico para cumplir todas sus necesidades de servicio. Correo electrónico: sales@laquerendona.com; laquerendona.com

Santa Sophía Agave Vinegar. The best blue agave from Los Altos de Jalisco is the main ingredient in this handcrafted, small-batch vinegar, making it a great base for a tequila or mezcal cocktail and in cooking, too. info@primaryagavespirit.com; santasofiaagavevinegar.com

Vinagre de Agave de Santa Sophía. El mejor agave azul de Los Altos de Jalisco es el ingrediente principal de este vinagre hecho a mano y de lote pequeño, convirtiéndolo en una excelente base para un cóctel de tequila o mezcal y también para cocina. info@primaryagavespirit.com; santasofiaagavevinegar.com

Helados La Neta. Inspired by the flavors, people and culture of Mexico, this all-natural, handcrafted ice cream comes in 7 authentic flavors: Avocado & Lime, Chocolate with Cinnamon, Coconut Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Classic Horchata, Rum & Raisin, and Mexican Vanilla. heladoslaneta.com Helados La Neta. Inspirados por los sabores, personas y la

Don Francisco Brand Hispanic Cheeses. Queso Para Frier, Cotija Enchilada, Panela and Queso Fresco are just a few of the Don Francisco brand cheeses manufactured by Rico-Lopez Foods — a company that still relies on Old World recipes and traditional techniques that uphold the traditions the family has held for generations. 800-626-5587; donfranciscocheese.com

cultura de México, este helado totalmente natural y casero viene en 7 sabores auténticos: Aguacate y Limón, Chocolate con Canela, Crema de Coco, Fresas con Crema, Horchata Clásica, Ron con Pasas, y Vainilla Mexicana. heladoslaneta.com

Quesos de marca hispana de Don Francisco. Queso Para Frier, Cotija Enchilada, Panela y Queso Fresco son solo algunas de las marcas de queso Don Francisco fabricadas por Rico-Lopez Foods, empresa que todavía se basa en recetas y técnicas tradicionales del Mundo Antiguo que sostienen las tradiciones que la familia ha conservado por generaciones. 800-626-5587; donfranciscocheese.com

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

resource guide

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

recipes

Baja Cauliflower Tacos Recipe courtesy of Chef Eddie Garza All recipe components gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free Makes 12 to 14 tacos The Batter: 2 c. garbanzo bean flour ½ c. coarse corn meal 2 t. baking powder 1 t. dulse flakes 1 t. ground cumin 1 t. chili powder 1 t. garlic powder ½ t. salt ½ t. black pepper 2 (12-ounce) bottles of Mexican lager In a large bowl, whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, cornmeal, baking powder, dulse flakes, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in 1½ bottles of beer and whisk well. The batter should resemble a slightly thick pancake batter.

Sign up for el Restaurante’s Recipe of the weekemail! EMAIL Kathy Furore, kfurore@restmex.com, with ‘Recipe’ In the subject line

The Tacos: 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 4 c. vegetable oil, for frying Salt 12 to 14 corn tortillas 2 to 3 c. red cabbage, julienned 1 c. chipotle aquafaba mayo (recipe below) 2 c. mango salsa (recipe below) Toss the cauliflower into the batter and coat well. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. When the oil has reached the right temperature, carefully drop in a few pieces of cauliflower, one at a time, and cook 3 to 4 minutes each. When the pieces are nicely browned, remove with tongs and place on a heatresistant plate lined with paper towels, or a roasting rack, to allow excess oil to drip. Repeat until all the cauliflower is cooked. Lightly sprinkle the fried bits with salt. The Chipotle Aquafaba Mayo: Makes approximately 2 cups ½ c. aquafaba ¼ t. cream of tartar ½ t. mustard powder 1 t. salt 2 t. fresh lime juice 1 t. apple cider vinegar

2 t. agave 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce, pureed 1 ½ c. sunflower oil In a 32-oz. mixing bowl, add aquafaba and whisk with a hand mixer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add cream of tartar, mustard powder, salt, lime juice, vinegar, agave, and chipotle puree. Whisk for 2 to 3 more minutes. Slowly add in oil while whisking constantly as mayo begins to thicken. Once all the oil has been added and well incorporated, transfer chipotle mayo to a mason jar and chill until ready to use. The Mango Salsa: Makes 2 cups 2 large mangos or 4 small ones, peeled and diced small 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced 2 T. chopped cilantro Juice of ½ lime ¼ t. salt Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This salsa will keep well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To build the tacos: Place 3 to 5 cauliflower florets in the center of each tortilla. Top each taco with a generous pinch of shredded cabbage, a dollop of chipotle aquafaba mayo, and mango salsa.

Vegan California Walnut Ceviche with Mariquitas Recipe courtesy of California Walnuts (walnuts. org) Makes 8 servings The Ceviche Sauce: ½ c. fresh squeezed lemon juice ¼ c. yuzu juice 1½ T. Aji Amarillo paste 1 T. tamari soy sauce 1 T minced fresh garlic 1 T. minced ginger 1 t. sea salt 1 t. pepper Stir together all ceviche sauce ingredients in a small bowl. The Walnut Ceviche: 2 c. California walnuts, blanched and broken into bite-size pieces 1 c. peeled, seeded and diced cucumber ¼ c. finely diced red jalapeno pepper ¼ c. finely diced green jalapeno pepper

JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

| el restaurante

recipes

¼ c. finely diced seeded tomato ¼ c. finely diced red onion

48 grape tomatoes, sliced ⅛” thick on the bias

2 T. lime zest 1 t. kosher salt

¼ c. peeled and diced golden kiwi or mango

24 jalapeño peppers, sliced 1⁄16” thick on the bias

¼ c. loosely packed cilantro, chiffonade cut, divided

The Black Bean Mash:

Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Makes 3 cups

The Lime Crema Slaw:

3 c. (18 oz.) canned black beans, reserving ½ cup + 2 T. liquid 1½ t. garlic powder

Makes 10 cups

1½ t. ground cumin 1½ t. ancho chili powder

2 c. (12 oz.) mango, ¼-inch diced 2 c. (12 oz.) ripe, Fresh California Avocado, ¼-inch diced 3 c, (12 oz.) orange bell pepper, ⅛-inch julienned 1½ c. (12 oz.) Lime Crema Sauce 1½ t. kosher salt 1½ t. black pepper, freshly ground

Stir together walnuts, cucumber, peppers, tomato, onion, kiwi or mango and 3 tablespoons cilantro in a medium bowl, then stir in sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The Mariquitas ((plantain chips): 3 green plantains 4 c. vegetable oil Sea salt, to taste Tajin Seasoning, for garnish Carefully score and peel plantains, removing any stringy tissue. Using a mandolin, make long thin slices following the natural curve of the plantain. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Heat oil in a large pot to 340°F. Gently add 4 to 5 plantain slices and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel lined baking sheets and season with salt immediately. Repeat with remaining plantain strips. To plate the ceviche: Wet the rims of eight small glasses and dip in Tajin spice. Spoon 4 ounces of finished ceviche into each glass and garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve with plantain chips.

Three Way California AvoTacos Recipe courtesy of California Avocado Commission (californiaavocado.com) Makes 12 servings 48 corn tortillas, 6” Black Bean Mash (recipe follows) Pickled California Avocado Slices (recipe follows) Lime Crema Sauce (recipe follows) Lime Crema Slaw (recipe follows) Fried California Avocado Slices (recipe follows)

3 limes, each cut into 8 wedges

1 t. smoked paprika 1 t. kosher salt 1 t. black pepper, freshly ground Combine beans and reserved liquid from the can. Add remaining ingredients and mash to a smooth consistency. Adjust seasoning to taste. The Pickled California Avocado: Makes 48 slices 1 c. (8 oz.) white wine vinegar 2 T. kosher salt 2 T. granulated sugar 2 T. Aleppo pepper 4 ripe but firm, Fresh California Avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into 12 slices, approximately ½” thick slices 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced 1/16inch on the bias 2 garlic cloves Combine white wine vinegar, salt, sugar and Aleppo pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let cool to room temperature. Place avocado slices in a deep bowl. Add jalapeño slices and whole garlic cloves. Pour cooled pickling liquid over the avocado slices. Cover bowl tightly and gently rotate to distribute seasoning. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. The Lime Crema Sauce: Makes approximately 2 cups 1½ c. (12 oz.) vegan mayonnaise ¾ c. (6 oz.) lime juice, freshly squeezed

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

1 t. black pepper, freshly ground

8 c. (12 oz.) Napa cabbage, shredded

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl with Lime Crema Sauce. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The Fried California Avocado Slices: Makes 48 slices 3 c. (15 oz.) all-purpose flour 2 c. (16 oz.) vegan eggs 12 c. (24 oz.) panko breadcrumbs 4 ripe but firm, Fresh California Avocados, peeled, seeded and each cut into 12 slices, approximately ½-inch thick Vegetable oil for deep frying Heat oil to 350°F. Place flour, vegan eggs, and panko breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge each avocado slice in flour, then eggs, then panko. Place on a tray. Refrigerate. When the oil is ready, place breaded avocado slices in the fry basket, lower the basket, and fry for about one minute or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined tray to drain. To assemble, per order: For each serving, place 4 corn tortillas on a hot flat top/griddle and char lightly. On serving plate, double stack tortillas forming two stacks. Evenly spread 2 tablespoons of Black

Bean Mash on each of the two top facing tortillas, leaving a ½-inch border. Place ⅓ cup of Lime Crema Slaw on top of Black Bean Mash. Then top each with 2 Fried California Avocado Slices and 2 Pickled California Avocado Slices. Drizzle ½ teaspoon of Lime Crema Sauce on each taco in a zigzag pattern. Place one grape tomato (sliced) on top of each. Garnish plate with 2 slices fresh jalapeño, 2 lime wedges, and 1 pickled jalapeno slice from Pickled California Avocados. *Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Frozen Coconut Margaritas Recipe (a frozen copycat version of the popular Coconut Margarita at Bonefish Harrys in Beverly, Massachusetts) courtesy of HungerThirstPlay.com 1 15-oz. can crema de coco* ¾ c. + 1 T. coconut milk (½ of a 13.5-oz. can) ½ c. lime juice 1½ c. coconut tequila 8 c. ice cubes about (about 2 trays) 4 c. sweetened coconut flakes Agave, for rimming Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut flakes in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. The shredded coconut will toast fast, so keep an eye on it! Let cool before using, this allows the coconut to get a little crunchy and stick to the glass better. Blend the crema de coconut, coconut milk and lime juice in a blender on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds until combined. Add tequila and ice and blend on high speed for 1 minute or until the margarita is smooth and slushie.

DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE OF

To serve: Rim the outside lip of the glass with agave, then gently press into the toasted coconut. Pour the frozen coconut margarita into the glass and serve right away! *Either Goya or Coco Lopez brand crema de coco/cream of coconut works best for this recipe.

To Abuela’s House We Go Recipe courtesy of Christopher Bureau, Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego, California Makes 1 cocktail 1½ oz. Reposado Tequila (we use Avion Reposado) ½ oz. Licor 43 Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate Cinnamon stick To prepare the hot chocolate, melt 1 tablet and 4 cups of milk in a saucepan and whisk until combined and hot. In an Irish coffee mug, combine the reposado tequila and Licor 43. Fill the remainder of the glass with the hot chocolate. Stir and top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon and add cinnamon stick for garnish.

The Night Owl

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Recipe courtesy of Lorena Castro, Reyes Mezcaleria, Orlando, Florida

_______________________________________________________________________________ Company Name / Companía

Makes 1 cocktail

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1 oz. Ilegal Reposado 1 oz. Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur 1 oz. cold brew coffee 1 oz. Reyes Tres Leches Mix Abuelita Chocolate dust, for garnish Combine liquid ingredients and shake vigorously. Pour into a coupe glass. Finish with Abuelita Chocolate dust.

Dirty Horchata Recipe courtesy of Nicholas Jackson, FIVE 55, Monterey Park, California Makes 1 cocktail 2 oz. Mars Iwai Whisky 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream 1 oz. Bananas Foster Liqueur 2 oz. cream 1 egg white Cookie crumbs, finely chopped Cinnamon, large ice cube and chocolate sauce, for garnish Add wet ingredients to shaker and shake. Dip top of a snifter into chocolate sauce and then finely chopped cookie crumbs. Strain through mesh strainer into snifter. Add freshly grated cinnamon to top of cocktail. Finish with a large ice cube and chocolate sauce.

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1. My business is: ❏ Restaurant ❏ Caterer ❏ Institutional Foodservice ❏ Restaurant Headquarters ❏ Consultant ❏ Other_________________ 2. Do you serve liquor? ❏ Yes, a full bar ❏ Yes, beer and wine only ❏ No, we don’t serve any liquor 3. Our restaurant is: ❏ Quick Serve/Fast Food ❏ Fast Casual ❏ Sit-Down Family Dining ❏ Fine Dining 4. Do you make purchasing decisions ? ❏ Yes ❏ No

my favorite recipe

EXECUTIVE CHEF YEN WU

Sueños Laguna Beach ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2021, SUEÑOS DEBUTED IN DOWNTOWN LAGUNA BEACH,

California, bringing Latin fusion cuisine that blends and borrows ingredients and influences from the coastline of Mexico to the mountainous regions of Peru. First-generation Americans from entrepreneurial families, husbandand-wife restaurateurs Jose Gutierrez and Kay Ayazi wanted to show their children how possible and powerful opportunities are for those who pursue their dreams. “When our team came together, there was this palpable collective confidence that together we would not only achieve our goals but that our synergy would elevate the individual dreams each of us has,” says Gutierrez. “Sueños is Spanish for dreams, and that’s how we came up with the name.” Award-winning Executive Chef Yen Wu, born and raised in Lima, Peru, brings a global experience to Sueños’ kitchen; he previously led the kitchen as executive chef at Puesto in Irvine, where he earned a nod from Michelin Guide. Among his favorite dishes from a menu that features dishes including Tetelas, Arepas de Birria and Arroz de Mariscos is the Tallarin Verde, a tender filet mignon set atop a bed of pasta tossed with pesto that includes queso fresco as well as Parmigiano Romano. It’s a favorite dish that the chef calls “a great expression of the age-old Genoese pesto recreated in Peru and brought to you with our signature twist.”

el restaurante | JAN/FEB/MAR 2022

Tallarin Verde The Filet: 5 oz. filet mignon 2 oz. dried pasta of choice The Pesto: 6 oz. fresh basil 6 oz. fresh spinach 2 oz. fresh garlic 4 oz. queso fresco 2 oz. Parmigiano Romano 6 fl. oz. evaporated milk 1 t. salt 1 t. pepper

Blend together until your desired consistency. To prepare: Boil pasta in salted water (enough to taste like the ocean!). Salt and pepper the filet to bring out the flavor, then grill to your customer’s desired preference; finish with Maldon salt, if desired.

THE TALLARIN VERDE IS A FAVORITE DISH THAT THE CHEF CALLS “A GREAT EXPRESSION OF THE AGE-OLD GENOESE PESTO RECREATED IN PERU AND BROUGHT TO YOU WITH OUR SIGNATURE TWIST.”

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Now Serve Delicious Authentic Tacos EVERY DAY!

Call today for samples of our authentic Al Pastor, Pollo Adobo and Carne Asada. Available in Trompos (hand-stacked cones) and cooked-to-order IQF Strips that provide maximum flavor, yield and portion control.

Ask your favorite distributor for Mega Sabor products.

el Restaurante, Jan/Feb/Mar 2022

Articles inside

MY FAVORITE RECIPE — Sueños’ Tallarin Verde

RECIPES

MARKETPLACE

COVER STORY — Now Blooming: Plant-based Menus

AT THE BAR — Dessert-Inspired Cocktails

HOTLINE — Celebrating our 25th Birthday

BUSINESS BASICS — Make Your Menu Work for You

AN EL RESTAURANTE EXCLUSIVE — Our 9th Annual Multi-Unit Mexican Restaurant Report

SNAPSHOT — Mama Tigre

SPECIAL FEATURE — Sustainability Takes Center Stage