TORCHY'S TACOS
Kitchen, menu & design optimization to reduce labor, improve quality & drive metric growthOUR IMPACT
%
Reduction in BOH Space Requirements
%
Reduction in Average Ticket Times
Daily Team Member Reduction
Reduced BOH CAPEX
Improved Food Quality, Consistency and Guest Satisfaction
Reduced Order–taking Time
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
The Torchy’s Tacos story began in 2006 when founder Mike Rypka bought himself a food trailer to serve scratch-made Damn Good tacos and hand deliver them on his bright red Vespa in Austin, Texas. While Torchy’s has grown to over 110 locations since their food trailer days, the team is always committed to high-quality, made-to-order tacos, award-winning queso, and hand-shaken drinks.
At this pivotal point for growth, the Torchy’s team sought an optimized business, menu and operating strategy capable of fueling future growth efforts to 1000+ locations.
The Moseley Group worked holistically with the Torchy’s Tacos team to develop strategic labor, operations, kitchen design and menu strategies, with improved, best-in-class metrics that drive increased profitability.
OUR CHALLENGE
To optimize the kitchen, menu and design strategies while improving brand standards and food quality. Driving both improved guest experiences and optimal profitability.
Consumer Research:
Our team conducted consumer intercepts with over 240 guests in 15 locations. From these intercepts, we gained qualitative data on guests’ perspectives and relationships with Torchy’s, including reactions to proposed changes in experience and menu strategy.
The research outlined preferences for changes, showcased brand loyalty, and identified opportunities to enhance guest experience and frequency.
Detailed Time & Labor Study:
We conducted a thorough time and labor study across multiple Torchy’s locations – documenting key data points across all dayparts.
Our team established time standards for all operational activities. The outcomes addressed questions on current task standards and provided data-driven insights for labor deployment tools.
Menu Optimization
We analyzed the menu and supply chain from categories to ingredients, finding opportunities to reduce operating complexities and improve food quality & consistency.
Test Kitchen R&D
We managed test kitchen R&D sessions – validating equipment, ingredients, and process improvements.
Over 30 stress-tests were completed with restaurant staffers to document metric impacts and ensure trainability. Blind taste tests were used to validate quality and taste improvements.
Refreshed
Menu Design & Communication Strategy
Concurrent to the menu optimization exercise, we refreshed the menu design and communication strategy to drive sales toward high-margin items, reduce order taking time and improve guest experience.
Kitchen Design Development
BEFORE
AFTER
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