There is something that I absolutely love about neighborhood cafes. They are often unique, individualized and very personal to the owner and the clientele. And most have excellent service as they know their patrons intimately. One of my favorite places in the Casa Linda area of Dallas is called very aptly Café Lago. It is located underneath an apartment development near the vicinity of White Rock Lake, our “urban oasis” within the city.
It’s fascinating to watch the owner, Gaby, in action. She is very much a hands-on entrepreneur who likes to be in the action. I get the sense that she probably has struggled with delegation like all driven managers, leaders and owners. In fact, she recently made the decision to close on Mondays which I suspect is a way to bring more overall balance to work and family life. She takes pride in the café and wants things to be right….after all it is a reflection of her. I can tell that Gaby is a driver personality which could make it a challenge to work for her. However, as driven as she is apparently, it is also quite visible to see how much she cares for her staff and her customers.
I dine there frequently on the weekends. It’s a respite for me from the stress of the week. I often sit on the patio and people-watch, read or just observe nature as the birds congregate at the fountain. It struck me today what a great study this would be in customer service, sales and entrepreneurship that can be used in any business for a manager or leader.
Attention to detail. The interior has a minimalist theme and is very tasteful. There are fresh flowers on each table…nothing imposing just a stem or two in a small vase. The flowers are changed out daily or at least several times per week. When I go in on the weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, I notice different flowers each day. On the walls spaced nice and evenly are hanging vases with the same types of flowers as you observe on the tables. It’s a very nice touch and a good way to bring nature inside and make people feel like it is home…a familiar place. Any good entrepreneur, leader or manager knows the importance that attention to detail can make in subtle marketing and providing a positive experience for the customer.
Being accessible and engaging with the customers and employees. I firmly believe that the best managers are out on the floor in the midst of the action instead of sitting in their offices observing from afar. Gaby is always out on the floor. She chats with the customers, takes orders and serves the food. She shows her staff how to do it. I recently watched her coach an employee on how to wipe the table down properly. She instructed her to use broad strokes to cover the entire table so that the customer does not feel any stickiness or residue. She further coached that a quick wipe down using short strokes may appear to “look” clean but if there is anything left the next customer will “feel” it. Broad strokes across the table eliminate this possibility. I listened in awe…never thinking about it this way. However, I could recall plenty of tables at other restaurants that I had to wipe myself because it was still dirty upon touching the table. I’ve never had to do this at Café Lago….hmm.
Tailoring the product and service to your niche. One of the reasons why I like Café Lago is their healthy and innovative approach to food. It has long been a signature of the restaurant before everyone else got on the bandwagon and they do it extremely well. It’s their differentiator. Each week there are specials that are not normally on the menu so it whets your appetite and encourages you to anticipate them. The special dishes are always inventive and fresh. The menu is not designed to attract the masses although there is something there that I believe everyone should like. However, for the everyday gourmet person it is pure heaven.
Pricing for value. The first time I went to Café Lago, everything was ala carte. My first thought was that it was expensive for a café. And indeed it was more expensive than some of the other breakfast and brunch places that I have frequented. However, I was quickly sold by the great taste, the uniqueness of the dishes and healthy preparation along with the great presentation. Many of the dishes you truly cannot get anywhere else and it truly is a great value. The portions are just right….not too small and not too big. The idea is for you to leave pleasantly full with enough room for dessert if you wish. And the desserts….well that’s probably another story…..they are delicious! It’s not low cost but it is definitely the best cost for the value.
Presentation is everything. At Café Lago presentation is everything and the staff takes it to heart. Coffee is served in an over-sized china cup complete with the saucer and a spoon on the side. Their fruit cup has thinly sliced seasonal fruit especially arranged by colors to invoke the senses. I once saw Gaby have a meal returned to the kitchen because while it had all of the food for the dish, the presentation was not complete. I didn’t think it made much difference until I saw it come back out. Wow! Recently I was there for a late lunch/early dinner and decided to have dessert after seeing it on another couple’s table. I knew I probably would not be able to eat all of it so I asked the server to go ahead and place it in a to-go container so I could just take it with me if I could not finish it. He nodded but returned with the cake on a white saucer served full presentation style. He said, “I insist you try it this way…it will be no problem to wrap it up once you are done and it will make all of the difference.” He was right. It just “felt” better and I almost ate the entire thing. As he promised, he promptly wrapped the small portion that I couldn’t finish.
Being a presence in the community. Gaby lives in the Casa Linda area and so she knows it well. She has long been a community advocate allowing local artists to post their work in the café as well as hosting local musical talent on select nights. She supported President Obama during the campaign and sponsored watch and inauguration parties for other community supporters. She recently joined the board of Family Outreach and has had some activities to promote their cause. This month she’s helping in a drive for a local Catholic school to round up Alumni. She is also giving away a free breakfast for two to finishers of an upcoming Family Outreach race. These are just a few examples of her community passion.
The folks at Café Lago are not perfect. Like any other business, they have their share of service snafus. However, what makes an impression is how they are eager to serve and if there is mistakes they make it right….immediately.
The service, sales and marketing basics presented by Café Lago are the tenets of cultivating a loyal following. A new breakfast restaurant just opened up near their location. I visited twice just to see what it was like. It was nice but it’s not Café Lago. And what is strange is that Café Lago is as busy as ever. How many other businesses would love to see this kind of result when a competitor moves in?
It’s fascinating to watch the owner, Gaby, in action. She is very much a hands-on entrepreneur who likes to be in the action. I get the sense that she probably has struggled with delegation like all driven managers, leaders and owners. In fact, she recently made the decision to close on Mondays which I suspect is a way to bring more overall balance to work and family life. She takes pride in the café and wants things to be right….after all it is a reflection of her. I can tell that Gaby is a driver personality which could make it a challenge to work for her. However, as driven as she is apparently, it is also quite visible to see how much she cares for her staff and her customers.
I dine there frequently on the weekends. It’s a respite for me from the stress of the week. I often sit on the patio and people-watch, read or just observe nature as the birds congregate at the fountain. It struck me today what a great study this would be in customer service, sales and entrepreneurship that can be used in any business for a manager or leader.
Attention to detail. The interior has a minimalist theme and is very tasteful. There are fresh flowers on each table…nothing imposing just a stem or two in a small vase. The flowers are changed out daily or at least several times per week. When I go in on the weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, I notice different flowers each day. On the walls spaced nice and evenly are hanging vases with the same types of flowers as you observe on the tables. It’s a very nice touch and a good way to bring nature inside and make people feel like it is home…a familiar place. Any good entrepreneur, leader or manager knows the importance that attention to detail can make in subtle marketing and providing a positive experience for the customer.
Being accessible and engaging with the customers and employees. I firmly believe that the best managers are out on the floor in the midst of the action instead of sitting in their offices observing from afar. Gaby is always out on the floor. She chats with the customers, takes orders and serves the food. She shows her staff how to do it. I recently watched her coach an employee on how to wipe the table down properly. She instructed her to use broad strokes to cover the entire table so that the customer does not feel any stickiness or residue. She further coached that a quick wipe down using short strokes may appear to “look” clean but if there is anything left the next customer will “feel” it. Broad strokes across the table eliminate this possibility. I listened in awe…never thinking about it this way. However, I could recall plenty of tables at other restaurants that I had to wipe myself because it was still dirty upon touching the table. I’ve never had to do this at Café Lago….hmm.
Tailoring the product and service to your niche. One of the reasons why I like Café Lago is their healthy and innovative approach to food. It has long been a signature of the restaurant before everyone else got on the bandwagon and they do it extremely well. It’s their differentiator. Each week there are specials that are not normally on the menu so it whets your appetite and encourages you to anticipate them. The special dishes are always inventive and fresh. The menu is not designed to attract the masses although there is something there that I believe everyone should like. However, for the everyday gourmet person it is pure heaven.
Pricing for value. The first time I went to Café Lago, everything was ala carte. My first thought was that it was expensive for a café. And indeed it was more expensive than some of the other breakfast and brunch places that I have frequented. However, I was quickly sold by the great taste, the uniqueness of the dishes and healthy preparation along with the great presentation. Many of the dishes you truly cannot get anywhere else and it truly is a great value. The portions are just right….not too small and not too big. The idea is for you to leave pleasantly full with enough room for dessert if you wish. And the desserts….well that’s probably another story…..they are delicious! It’s not low cost but it is definitely the best cost for the value.
Presentation is everything. At Café Lago presentation is everything and the staff takes it to heart. Coffee is served in an over-sized china cup complete with the saucer and a spoon on the side. Their fruit cup has thinly sliced seasonal fruit especially arranged by colors to invoke the senses. I once saw Gaby have a meal returned to the kitchen because while it had all of the food for the dish, the presentation was not complete. I didn’t think it made much difference until I saw it come back out. Wow! Recently I was there for a late lunch/early dinner and decided to have dessert after seeing it on another couple’s table. I knew I probably would not be able to eat all of it so I asked the server to go ahead and place it in a to-go container so I could just take it with me if I could not finish it. He nodded but returned with the cake on a white saucer served full presentation style. He said, “I insist you try it this way…it will be no problem to wrap it up once you are done and it will make all of the difference.” He was right. It just “felt” better and I almost ate the entire thing. As he promised, he promptly wrapped the small portion that I couldn’t finish.
Being a presence in the community. Gaby lives in the Casa Linda area and so she knows it well. She has long been a community advocate allowing local artists to post their work in the café as well as hosting local musical talent on select nights. She supported President Obama during the campaign and sponsored watch and inauguration parties for other community supporters. She recently joined the board of Family Outreach and has had some activities to promote their cause. This month she’s helping in a drive for a local Catholic school to round up Alumni. She is also giving away a free breakfast for two to finishers of an upcoming Family Outreach race. These are just a few examples of her community passion.
The folks at Café Lago are not perfect. Like any other business, they have their share of service snafus. However, what makes an impression is how they are eager to serve and if there is mistakes they make it right….immediately.
The service, sales and marketing basics presented by Café Lago are the tenets of cultivating a loyal following. A new breakfast restaurant just opened up near their location. I visited twice just to see what it was like. It was nice but it’s not Café Lago. And what is strange is that Café Lago is as busy as ever. How many other businesses would love to see this kind of result when a competitor moves in?
