The to-go pick-up table outside Chavas Mexican Restaurant
The to-go pick-up table outside Chavas Mexican Restaurant
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Editor’s Note: Last week we wrote about two Mexican restaurants that had converted to delivery/takeout because of coronavirus (click here to read that article). Since then we heard from another Mexican restaurant succeeding in this area – enjoy!
By Ed Avis
Before the coronavirus crisis, Chavas Mexican Restaurant in St. Louis did 10 to 15 takeout orders per day, and no delivery at all. For Chavas, which has 80 seats, delivery and takeout were simply not important.
That all changed when coronavirus struck and all restaurants were forced to close their dining rooms.
Manager Miroslav Petrzel knew the restaurant would have to pivot quickly to totally off-premise sales, so he had his POS provider set up online ordering capabilities. He kept his existing credit card processor because he didn’t want to open a new credit card processing account for online orders, so when orders come in his employees call the customer to confirm them and take the card information.
“When the customers come in we give them the receipt and they sign it,” Petrzel says. “The waiters are getting very nice tips.”
The restaurant set up a table in front of the door. The put hand sanitizers on the table on both sides, for the servers on one side and the customers on the other. Customers approach the table and pick up their orders with minimal contact.
Margaritas To Go
Margaritas to-go at Chavas
Margaritas to-go at Chavas
Margarita sales have been essential to the restaurant’s success in this new venture.
“We started selling margaritas on the rocks to-go three days ago,” Petrzel said last week. “We sell non-alcoholic margarita mix plus bottles of tequila. We are selling 16 oz of mix with two shots of tequila for $12. This makes two margaritas, which in the restaurant sell for $15. So the customer is saving $3.”
Petrzel says that in addition to the money the margarita sales generate, those customers also are ordering appetizers or dinners, pushing up their overall food sales. Now they are planning to sell two flavors of frozen margaritas. Sales of margaritas represent about 25 percent of overall sales now, he says.
The first day they offered take-out they had 30 orders. The numbers quickly grew – on April 2 they sold 76 orders.
“We are pretty happy about that,” Petrzel says. “With these increasing sales we will be able to pay all of our monthly bills. Mexican restaurants have big advantage because of margaritas. As long as we can do carryout and people will have money we will be OK.”
Do you have a story to tell about how your restaurant is surviving the Coronavirus crisis? Please tell us! Email edavis@restmex.com