Las Margaritas in Avon Lake modifications homeowners, restaurant idea
The newest in an extended line of eating places owned by Hernandez, he stated Las Margaritas initially was deliberate as a “conventional” sit-down Mexican restaurant.
Nonetheless, the younger restaurant skilled constant staffing points, which brought on coaching workers to pull on, Hernandez stated.
“We began right here in February with a brand new idea, with only a common sit-down Mexican restaurant,” Melo stated by Hernandez, her translator. “We made the choice to do the change as a result of, sadly … we simply had been having issues with the employees, as a result of we had been coaching on a regular basis.
“They might work for every week, a month, two months, and depart.”
Now extra akin to quick informal eating places like Chipotle and Moe’s Southwest Grill, the restaurant marketed it has extra conventional Mexican substances than the chain eateries, offering a dozen completely different meat choices.
“I (informed Melo), look, we’ve already talked about this, let’s simply make it a Chipotle type,” Hernandez stated. “The practical a part of a sit-down Mexican restaurant, if you wish to do issues proper, it’s essential to have not less than 4 guys who know what they’re doing.
“With this idea, you solely want one.”
The change occurred Aug. 24, and after a gradual begin, the restaurant step by step has gotten again to an identical degree of enterprise as earlier than because of phrase of mouth round Avon Lake.
“After we made the change,” Hernandez stated. “We had been like, did we make a mistake?
“We had been scratching our heads. After that, individuals began discovering out and it began getting good. Individuals began speaking about it on the town, and on social media.”
Hernandez stated he just lately offered the restaurant to Melo within the hopes that the constructing may obtain a liquor license sooner along with her on the helm.
Whereas the restaurant is doing common enterprise with out the power to promote alcohol, Hernandez stated that liquor definitely would assist.
“What’s actually been hurting this enterprise, is the liquor half,” he stated. “As a result of with out liquor, individuals come, don’t get me flawed, but it surely’s not the identical.”
Hernandez stated the hope is that the restaurant will be capable to safe a liquor license inside the subsequent few months.
He and Melo nonetheless are ready on their preliminary listening to for the allow.
Within the meantime, the restaurant is open for enterprise.
Las Margaritas now sports activities an internet order pickup window, based on Hernandez.
The restaurant additionally is on the market on Doordash and Toast, he stated.
“We work so exhausting to make it work,” Melo stated. “We’re excited to see the turnaround now, that the persons are loving it.
“Persons are speaking so extremely about it. We put our coronary heart into it … we will’t wait to see the restaurant working 100% full time with liquor and every little thing.”
Las Margaritas is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday by Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays; and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays.
