Loeb was expecting to reduce staff hours and stay open with only a skeleton crew. Instead, the restaurant was “crushed” with business, he said.
“The community has been phenomenal through this whole thing,” Loeb said. “Sales weren’t as good as when the dining room was open, but our goal was to keep the doors open and keep all of our staff employed.”
Loeb and his wife, Cynthia, own the restaurant together along with Oliva Italian Eatery. They accomplished their goal at both restaurants by keeping their staff, including 20 members at Elote Mexican Kitchen, employed.
Part of the success came from relaxed regulations on to-go alcohol purchases, Loeb said. The Mexican restaurant has sold more than 1,000 margaritas in the past three months, which has helped to offset a loss in catering revenue due to the cancellation of large-scale events.
“When you open a business, you have an idea of what it might be, but you evolve,” Loeb said. “You don’t want to change a lot, but you always want to make modifications here and there.”
Now, serving dine-in customers at 50% capacity, the restaurant has remained committed to from-scratch meals while providing customers a comfortable environment.
Staff wear face masks at all times, oft-touched areas are regularly sanitized and large booths with high walls provide privacy and social distancing. The restaurant also has an efficient online ordering system and is still offering to-go and delivery options, along with weekly deals and at least five flavors of margaritas.
“I want everything here to be as fresh as it possibly can,” Loeb said. “We want to provide people an original option where you can come and get everything for your family. It’s something we have at both restaurants.”
Elote Mexican Kitchen
12854 N. Beach St., Fort Worth
817-741-3600
www.elotemex.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
