|
Blurring the Line
between Customers and Crew
When Darryl Ciarlante
and Joe Zuber realized they had a very good thing going at their Dos
Locos Restaurant on First Street, it was sort of a mixed blessing.
 “We
were very fortunate that people enjoyed the place and we were doing so
well, says Joe, “but we ran out of room. When there’s a 35-45 minute
wait every night to sit down for dinner, you lose customers, too.”
Plainly, by the summer
of 2002, after three successful seasons, Joe and Darryl realized that
their little Mexican restaurant was bursting at the seams and making
them completely loco themselves.
So the dos locos began
searching for a new site to pin up the piñatas.
“We wanted more
space,” says Darryl, “but we weren’t exactly sure what direction
to go in. Should we change to tablecloths and a more formal atmosphere?
Could we have a place like
the original in a
bigger space? We didn’t know.”
So the guys polled
their customers and pretty soon, an amazing consensus evolved: keep it
exactly the same. All the comments came out in favor of a new Dos Locos
with the same fun atmosphere, same colorful surroundings and same
artifacts, right down to the birthday sombrero and piñatas. “We took
that answer and ran with it,” say Joe.
By fall 2002, a serious
hunt was on for a new location. “We looked all over for a spot, but
nothing was quite right,” says Joe, “until Thanksgiving weekend when
a customer told us that the place at 10 Wilmington Avenue, the former
Confetti’s Restaurant, was available.
As soon as we heard
that, we called, went over to look at it and bought the equipment.”
With the First Street
Dos Locos up and running through much of the winter, it wasn’t long
before the news was all over town. A formal announcement was made on New
Years Eve, with a plan to keep the original restaurant operating right
up until the move to Wilmington Avenue.
How can we help?
The many customers who
weighed in on the kind of bigger but basically identical restaurant they
would like to see now started asking how they could help with the move.
“They weren’t just
asking to be nice,” says Darryl, “they really wanted to know what
they could do.”
Darryl and Joe estimate
that over 50 of their customers— people who live in the area full-time
and others who just come on weekends, pitched in with the move.
According to Joe they
moved piñatas, cleaned bathrooms, and moved kitchen equipment. “It
was amazing. Customers gave anywhere from five minutes to five hours or
more.”
Declining to name names
for fear of leaving somebody out, Joe describes people carrying piñatas
and decorations down the street, with other customers riding in the
backs of trailers carrying refrigeration equipment. “It was St.
Patrick’s weekend and we had our own Mexican St. Patty’s Day parade
with people waving flags and having a fun time,”Joe says.
“We had people
literally carrying tables, knick knacks, that famous birthday sombrero,
maracas, and blankets through town for us,” says Darryl. “People
were going back and forth moving canned goods and juices.
No doubt, if they had
been permitted to move the Margarita mix and Tequila, they would have
moved that first thing.
“It really gives you
a great feeling when all these people come through and say ‘I have ten
minutes, what can I do?’. We can’t thank them enough,” Joe says.
The First Street
location closed on April 7, and the guys were hoping to open on
Wilmington Avenue by the 11th. There followed some nail-biting and teeth
gnashing over licenses and permits, but finally after phone calls and
re-arranged schedules, Dos Locos hosted the requisite inspectors and was
able to open at the new location April 17. They had been closed only one
weekend for the move.
Actually, Darryl’s
background prepared him for the quick switch. He was a Project Manager
for a Large Exhibit Firm in South Jersey, where he would oversee design,
construction, set-up and breakdown of booths at museums and trade shows.
Meanwhile, Joe worked
for Sodexho-Marriott Corp as a Regional Food Service Director. The
couple, who have been together almost 15 years started vacationing in
Rehoboth 13 years ago, and moved here full-time in 2000.
Now that Dos Locos has
made the move, it might sound just a little bit loco, but the pair will
be opening the old location as the restaurant Burgerville later this
spring.
There, they will offer
100 percent certified Angus Beef along with a Key West, Jimmy Buffet
type of atmosphere. “Right as we speak, the entire restaurant is
whitewashed. We are doing the work ourselves with staff,” says Joe.
While the theme may be
pure fun, Darryl and Joe are serious about the burgers, which is why
they signed a contract with Angus Beef and will be following their very
strict quality guidelines. They will be serving half pound and one pound
burgers, grilled tuna and chicken, with veggie and black bean burgers
also available.
With two restaurants,
you might think these two have to be loco to face this summer. However,
they’ve hired a manager and new crew for Burgerville.
“We’re both going
to be at Dos Locos because customers expect that. They want us there,”
says Darryl.
So when you visit the
new Dos Locos, both will be in their regular places—Darryl at the bar
and Joe being host and overseeing that all is running smoothly.
“Before we moved
here, when we would entertain, Darryl always set up and made sure the
bar was just right. I would be in charge of dinner and making sure
everyone was OK. Things have not changed a bit. We’re still doing the
exact same thing!” says Joe.
Only now it’s in a
bigger space, with more room for the fun.
“It
was wonderful how many people were involved in our venture,” Darryl
says.” We couldn’t have made it all work without our loyal
customers. We can’t thank them enough.”
|
Back to Top of Page 