02/27/2024
Let’s talk about pricing. I love breaking down why we charge the way we do. Transparency with our guests and my team is always super important to me.
Nearly everything we serve in the restaurant is hecho en casa. Every detail from our crema to our condiments are made in-house with labor and love. Our masa requires specialty corn that we grind in-house and spend days preparing. Even our sausages are made from scratch. Our ingredients are curated carefully, often hand-picked at markets or from a variety of trusted vendors.
The cost of running a restaurant has gone up tremendously over the last decade. Truth be told with the cost of goods, fixed costs, and labor the way it is now it’s extremely hard for Restaurants to stay open in the Bay Area which is why you see so many closing down. We’re no different. When you value high-quality ingredients, well-paid labor, and taking our time to plan a memorable service, it will show up in the pricing.
To be candid, I think some people don’t expect that from Latin American food. Some tend to expect cheaper quality food and lower pricing. A $15 French onion soup isn’t scrutinized in the way that a $11 shrimp pupusa often is. The cost of great dairy is the same for both of those items—they don’t go down just because one is Latinx. And I think it’s worth reflecting on why that is the case.
I’m always looking to open up the conversation because I want to understand where folks are coming from. I also want folks to understand where we’re coming from. Thanks for taking the time read this. Sincerely, it means a lot.