Sam Fonseca of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos on Simplicity for Successful Restaurant

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos and its COO Sam Fonseca follow a deliberate approach to keeping their menu — and business — simple and successful. In this insightful interview with host Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) live at the Toast Spark LA event, Fonseca describes how Roll-Em-Up (@rollemup) chooses to focus on delivering the absolute best experience to their customers.

Listen now to learn about the power of social media, adjusting for customer expectations, and keeping Mama Karen’s legacy alive. #rollemup #qsr #toasttab

@calibbqmedia @rollemup @toasttab

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, presented by the @Toast point of sale and restaurant management technology company? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below.

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Chapters:
[01:40] - Sam Fonseca's 2-Minute Drill
[04:57] - Efficiency Through Simplification
[10:45] - The In-n-Out Story
[21:30] - Why is Social Media Important to Restaurants?
[24:01] - Opening for Breakfast at 9AM

Sam Fonseca is a Restaurant Influencer -

In honor of the original inspiration, Mama Karen, Sam Fonseca and team at Roll-Em-Up Taquitos understand the true desires of their customers and strive to surpass expectations with every Bomb AF Taquito rolled.

“My role is to make sure that our focus is on our taquitos.” says COO Sam Fonseca to Shawn Walchef of https://calibbq.media. “When you add other things, it actually devalues what we do best. It's going to take our attention away just even a smidgen for something else.”

Though they stay consistent to their simplified menu, that doesn’t mean Fonseca isn’t flexible enough to make adjustments necessary to enhance the business.

In a serendipitous meeting with an overzealous customer while working at a previous job, Fonseca quickly understood the importance of listening to customer desires. The customer came to the door early in the morning during a team meeting, thinking the restaurant was open due to the amount of cars in the parking lot. Fonseca instantly recognized the opportunity to change business hours and attract a new sector of customers by simply allowing employees to fill the parking lot with their cars and opening the doors at 9 in the morning.

Recognizing the immense power of social media storytelling for restaurants, with over 100K followers on TikTok and Instagram for Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, Fonseca has observed a shift in customer behavior. Fewer people these days are connected by shared memories of Saturday morning cartoons or favorite network TV shows, while more are finding connections through social media platforms.

The digital landscape has allowed customers to easily reach out, inquire about Roll Em Up locations, and stay connected with the brand.

“Social media is just this powerful, powerful tool, right, that can reach folks in different countries, in different states.” says Sam Fonseca. “It's just an amazing marketing tool.”

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos embodies the idea of simplicity by focusing on their expertise, engaging customers through social media platforms, and capitalizing on customer connections. Roll Em Up Taquitos continues to flourish, and Fonseca's approach ensures that the company remains a beacon of culinary excellence, bringing joy to taquito enthusiasts who come to their locations with high expectations.

Episode Links:
Roll Em Up Taquitos TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rollemuptaquitos
Roll Em Up Taquitos IG: https://www.instagram.com/rollemup/
Roll Em Up Taquitos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rollemuptaquitos

ABOUT SAM FONSECA:
Sam Fonseca came to Roll Em Up Taquitos with an enormous restaurant background. After previous stops at In-n-Out Burger, Raising Cane’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken, Fonseca has transformed from a fan of Roll Em Up Taquito to its Chief Operating Officer. His passion for people, and following his dad’s advice to “treat everyone with kindness”, are his self-described super powers that he brings to his leadership at Roll Em Up Taquito.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:
Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Stratis Morfogen, Chris Comparato, Meredith Sandland, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

• Published by Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com
• Produced by Cali BBQ Media - https://content.calibbq.media

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RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants

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