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La Casita tweaks name, menu as it approaches 25th anniversaryAug 26, 2010 (The Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The exterior is still pink, the food is still fresh and the salsa bar isn't going anywhere, but La Casita is getting a bit of a makeover. The name of the popular local restaurant chain is changing to La Casita Mexican Grill (it was La Casita Patio Cafe), there's a Mexi Burger on the menu and now the margaritas come in glasses instead of plastic cups. But, said Janet Sawyer, owner of the three-restaurant chain, La Casita will still be La Casita. "One person told me, 'Don't get too fancy,'" she said. Michael Brennan, La Casita's area manager, said that after almost a quarter-century, loyal customers know the menu like the back of their hands. "If you used to order the No. 34 20 years ago, it's still the 34," he said. "We don't want to lose sight of what we are." Nevertheless, Sawyer said, it was time to make a few updates. Potential new customers, she said, might have been unsure what sort of food was served at a "patio cafe." "We felt like we weren't getting new people to come in," Sawyer said. And the Mexi Burger, which is served wrapped in one of La Casita's flour tortillas and comes with papas fritas (french fries), is a fun item that may make new and old customers take a fresh look at the menu, Brennan said. "New items bring in new clientele and give existing customers something new to try," he said. The name change has been a gradual process starting in June. All of the signs won't be changed for a few more weeks, Brennan said. La Casita will mark its 25th year in 2011. Sawyer was one of the founders and became sole owner in 1989. The chain employs about 80 people at its three locations: 8th Street near downtown, North Nevada Avenue and east Woodmen Boulevard. Sawyer said she is weighing the potential for franchising the restaurant beyond the Pikes Peak region. "The restaurant business was just what I fell into," Sawyer said. "I think it was the right thing for me. It's worked very well for me. I don't know why, but it has." La Casita was a local pioneer of "fast casual" dining, a trend that has now become ubiquitous with the likes of Chipotle and Noodles & Company, where customers order at the counter, but the food is prepared fresh and you can order a beer or drink with your meal. Despite the competition, fresh ingredients, along with a good staff, have kept La Casita in the game, Sawyer said. "We try to provide a fun, friendly atmosphere, we try to provide quick service, but our food has always been what brings people in," Sawyer said. "I know my husband would eat here three times a day, seven days a week if I let him," she said. -- Call the writer at 636-0275 LA CASITA MEXICAN GRILL The local chain has three locations: 306 S. 8th St. 4295 N. Nevada Ave. 3725 E. Woodmen Road Go to lacasitapatiocafe.com for more information. To see more of The Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gazette.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). |