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We’ve recently made some changes to our menu boards (still in the process of reaching all stores), which might lead to some questions. Here’s a note from our CEO, John, explaining the changes and the logic behind them:
Why Change the Menu?
One of our core beliefs at Boloco is that to succeed we must always be listening and evolving. So, first and foremost, we made these changes because you (no, not necessarily you personally, but you collectively, our guests, over long periods of time) told us to. Almost all of these changes come from customers who took the time to speak, compliment, complain, write, Tweet, and email us with suggestions as to how we could make our menu more accessible. I even personally disagreed with some of the changes until I really started listening to what people were saying.
Most of the changes are truly minor (i.e. colors), but others are kind of a big deal.
Here is a run-down of the biggest (and “baddest”) changes:
Layout:
We got a lot more organized, and hopefully these new boards highlight the huge variety of options you have to choose from at Boloco. You can scan the main menu items quickly, get a better description of all of the ingredients in our restaurants, and ultimately get more customization at the same fast pace we’ve always tried to deliver.
Sizes:
Original – One thing that we’ve heard over and over again is that our “large” wasn’t really all that “large”. Personally, I didn’t get it, but then again my metabolism slowed down years ago so the fact that I found the smaller size acceptable (necessary) didn’t mean much. Well, the days of losing the size battle are over. We’re going back to where we started, way back in 1997. Our new “original” size is actually about 20% larger than what you likely know as our “large”. Honestly, it’s too much food, over 20 ounces. But people want it, so we’re giving them the choice.
Small – Formerly known as “regular”, nothing has changed but the name. Why? Because so many people called it “the small one” anyway, and because it really is small compared to the “regular/standard” burrito that’s typically sold elsewhere. If anything, we’d always prefer to underpromise and overdeliver… because as most of you know, the small isn’t really that small.
Mini – The newest member of our family. This little guy is accurately described as “disturbingly small”…we mean it. Save some dough and a couple hundred calories and get a burrito fix at any time of day. Don’t expect to leave full, but then again, that’s not the point (although we’ll be introducing mini “packs” in the future… stay tuned)
Mini Smoothie – New 10oz size. Again, it’s really small. But it’s a perfect complement to your normal meal and won’t needlessly fill you up. Just as you begin to indulge too much, you’ll be done!
Comebacks:
Yucatan Habanero – Back by popular demand, this spicy devil has “earned” a full-time position on our menu.
Memphis BBQ – Recently RE-introduced, the Big Hunk O’ Love is back for good!
New stuff (yay!):
Cookie monster – A dangerously addictive milkshake with boloco’s famous chocolate chip cookie blended into it…try it once and you’ll be hooked. Don’t let it sit too long – when it settles, it looks a bit…monstrous.
Inspired Chips and Beverages?? – You got it. We always try to remind our guests that we aren’t a Mexican joint (many people assume we are). In fact 18% of our sales come from Mexican-inspired ingredients, 82% “other”! But what did we do to compliment these inspired burritos and bowls? We offered ONLY tortilla chips (ie. Mexican). So starting today, you’ll notice a wide selection of carefully chosen chips that work really well with most of our food recipes. Same goes with beverages. We’ve gone on a beverage discovery tour, and while we’re just getting started, we think you’ll like some of the things we’ve chosen so far.
Friends with Benefits – You may have noticed that earlier in January we reintroduced our Memphis BBQ burrito & bowl and offered a “benefit” for ordering it (in the form of a significant discount). Well, from now on, we’ll be introducing new “friends” and “benefits” quite often. Check here for the current promo!
Goloco – Ask and you shall receive! We’re laying it all out on the table…er…board, with a list of everything that we offer in the restaurant. Hopefully this will make it easier to customize your burrito, bowl, salad, or smoothie and create your own boloco “favorite”.
Business stuff (not so yay):
Prices – Some of you will notice changes in pricing. Per ounce, the new Original size went way down, but in fact increased 6 cents (<1%) versus where the Large was priced previously. The Small size burrito increased 11 cents (2%). The smoothies increased about 5% for the first time in a number of years. If you look around (and we do all day long) you'll find we're still priced either equal to or even below many places that sell similar-looking menu items. Of course, most of them aren't worried about the source of their meats and whether they were raised naturally, the quality of the organic tofu and vegetables, compostable cups, bowls, untensils, and the list goes on. As has happened in the past, we will sadly lose some of you because of these price increases, but we chose NOT to take away the very things that so many tell us are important.. We hope most of you will support these changes. And in the meantime, do yourselves a favor, get yourselves a boloco card if you don’t already have one… the smartest of our guests figure out how to average 15% and even up to 20% off in discounts using it regularly!
That’s It!
If you’re feeling lost, don’t fret…you are definitely not alone and we’re here to help.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we’re happy to listen at buzz@boloco.com (or just use Talk to Us on our website).
The dawning of a new day has arrived…at least we think so (hope so!)
Thanks for everything… we’re celebrating our 13th year anniversary, and without such insanely loyal customers this could never have been the case.
-John Pepper
CEO and co-founder
