LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Moves: Dos Locos |
by Fay Jacobs |
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 piatas. "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 piatas. "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 piatas, 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 piatas 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 placesDarryl 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." |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 13, No. 4, May 2, 2003 |