Afrigather 
By Suzie Tsai, Vice President of Advertising, On The Border
Working eating places within the 2020s has required manufacturers to solid their eyes on nearly each facet of their companies. From know-how and menu innovation to packaging and getting merchandise to prospects, the evolution of the restaurant sector prior to now 3 years has been transformative. For On The Border, this time-frame has required greater than refreshing our model and operations. It has prompted us to rethink them.
When the idea was based in 1982 in Dallas, On The Border was praised for its top-tier margaritas and genuine Tex-Mex meals grilled over mesquite wooden and served in beneficiant parts. Nevertheless, as time handed, it was clear the model misplaced its method. The meals grew to become void of the daring, craveable flavors it was as soon as identified for. We noticed a major lower in site visitors because of this. The eating places and model grew to become stale in some ways.
So, we set out on a “rethink journey,” and it stays a piece in progress, though one during which we’ve already made great strides. We now have strategized and prioritized the adjustments we knew would produce probably the most vital impression for our buyer base. With this customer-centric mindset, we let our friends be our guides and centered on analyzing suggestions and gross sales metrics. From that analysis, we discovered three key areas we may construct upon: bettering our meals, modernizing our know-how, and strengthening our staff.
The place all of it started
When conducting our preliminary analysis, we discovered lots of our longtime prospects mentioned issues comparable to, “The meals isn’t what it was.” After all, meals is why individuals come to our eating places, so we shortly decided that our highest precedence with this refresh was to enhance the meals. Change is tough in any capability, and optimizing the meals and menu was a problem. There was a variety of trial and error as we labored to get our menu choices proper. Fortunately, our friends supplied us with a variety of suggestions all through the method to assist us alter our recipes.
We have been strategic about what wanted to be mounted. We eliminated gadgets that have been lower than par with our new requirements and centered on the advance of beans, rice, and taco meat as they’re such distinguished elements of each single meal. To extend the standard of each meal it was vital to make sure these core elements have been excellent.
Now, extra friends are raving in regards to the improved meals, noting that the flavors we was identified for are again. We’ve additionally been discovering new methods to innovate our menu all year long, bringing again seasonal LTOs like our Barbacoa Enchiladas and Honey-Chipotle Salmon in the course of the model’s fortieth anniversary. We additionally began month-to-month themed margaritas.
Modernizing our know-how
One other aspect to our rethink initiative concerned investing in our know-how and digital platforms. An preliminary key part of this has been releasing our first rewards program, the Queso Membership. This system, meant to be an preliminary check to gauge shopper curiosity in a rewards system, ended up being extra standard than we anticipated. It was so standard, in reality, that we needed to restructure this system to accommodate the excessive demand. We’re at the moment working to relaunch our rewards program this spring, and whereas many restaurant manufacturers are reducing again on rewards provides, we’re boosting our program by providing extra.
Moreover, we not too long ago launched an app for cell orders and a brand new web site that options on-line ordering, making certain that our takeout expertise is seamless. These on-line ordering platforms additionally allowed us to raised combine with companions like DoorDash and Uber Eats. With the rise in cell ordering, we have been initially frightened about alcohol gross sales as they’re such a big a part of the enterprise, however we have been capable of embrace a system for to-go alcohol. The system accommodated our friends and elevated gross sales.
We’ve additionally been discovering methods to maximise our labor via new applied sciences and methods, particularly by working with digital/ghost kitchens. This has allowed us to maintain our back-of-house workers and keep our gross sales and has remained a distinguished a part of our operations.
Strengthening our staff
Bringing in new members and expertise to our management staff have been essential elements of refreshing our model. This kicked off with the hiring of our CEO, Tim Ward, in June 2020. He led the discussions on what model components wanted to be prioritized, offering an neutral, exterior perspective on the restaurant and its operations. As well as, the staff introduced me on as VP of selling to revamp our model messaging and advertising supplies. I used to be additionally capable of provide a recent view on the model and equip us with modern, fashionable methods.
Our Vice President of Operations Ed Jarvis has been with the model for 21 years. He has been instrumental in offering this initiative with an inside perspective, lending his information about On The Border’s historical past. Equally, our Director of Culinary, Meals, and Beverage Daniel Camp has gained a stable understanding of the model since he joined our staff in 2019 and was capable of take our suggestions in regards to the crucial meals adjustments and make the flavors and choices higher than ever. (Editor: After serving to rejuvenate OTB’s menu, Camp moved to Fuzzy’s Taco Store in April 2023 as Director of Culinary.)
The consequence
Because of the staff’s efforts on the rethink initiative, visitor perceptions have improved. Moreover, gross sales have grown with checks rising by 10% because the begin of the initiative.
As I discussed, this journey is way from over. Nevertheless, these metrics present we’re headed in the suitable course. We now have the foundational blocks in place with our improved meals/menu, our know-how, and our staff to work on upgrading different components, comparable to our new restaurant design prototype.
For franchising info, please go to https://www.ontheborder.com/our-story/franchising/.
- Extra from On The Border
