FBB News: Q&A with Phoenix Coqui
How a Food Truck Reopened to Record-Breaking Sales in the Midst of an Ongoing Pandemic
Facebook BusinessWhen Alexis Carbajal took a vacation to Puerto Rico for the first time, he fell in love with the island, the food and his partner, Juan Alberto Ayala. Alexis then moved to Puerto Rico in 2013, and he and Juan began developing a plan to bring the “sazón” (seasoning) and “diversión” (fun) of Puerto Rico back to Alexis’ hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. In 2017 their food truck, , hit the road for the first time, catering to late-night foodies and festival-goers around the US.
Fast forward to early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic had Alexis and Juan pumping the brakes. "We never imagined that during our busiest month of the year we would have to shut down our business,” says Alexis. “We felt defeated, like we had lost everything we had gained in the past three years.” Alexis and Juan closed up shop in March and spent the next three months figuring out how to stay healthy, keep their customers safe and reopen successfully.
A few months later, after some big operational changes, the duo is back in business. To their surprise and delight, these changes resulted in record-breaking sales. Wanting to hear the recipe to their recent success, we caught up with Alexis and Juan to learn more.
When you reopened Phoenix Coqui in June, how did you adapt your business model to respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Juan: Our top priority has always been and continues to be our customers. Keeping our customers updated during our closure and reopening was crucial. While being temporarily closed, we reassured our customers that we would reopen as soon as it was safe to do so. When we reopened, we had to make sure our customers would feel safe coming to order from us as we have an advantage in being small, outdoors and with very little contact. We made sure to emphasize the changes to ordering so that safety came first.
Alexis: We also adapted and went from being a late-night food truck to opening during the day, and from traveling around to different cities to participate in large festivals to remaining stationary in a parking lot.
How did you communicate these changes to your customers?
Alexis: Facebook has been the main tool that we have used to ensure that the line of communication between us and our customers remains open. With so much uncertainty, we wanted to ensure our customers were aware that our closure was temporary and that we had returned with all necessary precautions to ensure their safety and ours.
Juan: has also been essential. Having a way to send quick responses to our customers ensures that they are aware that we are open for business and there is a real person responding to their questions.
What are some of the results you’ve seen from this new business model?
Juan: Before the pandemic, we had a tremendous amount of contact and interaction with our customers. They could order from our truck and sit at a table to enjoy their meal with others. Now, customers are ordering and eating in their cars. While much of the interaction is gone, we have actually seen an increase in our customer base in the past few weeks alone.
Alexis: Little did we know that opening during the day and adapting to the new environment would lead to record-breaking sales. We have seen our business turn around and have had increasingly higher sales with every weekend that passes.
What kind of feedback have you gotten from customers as you’ve forged on through the pandemic?
Juan: Our customers never cease to amaze us. The response when we reopened was overwhelming. We had so many of our regulars return that first night and tell us how much they missed us, how much they missed our food and how much they have struggled with the social isolation from staying home.
Alexis: We are extremely fortunate to have an amazing customer base that eagerly awaited our return and came out in full force to welcome us back. We definitely miss being able to give all of our regulars a hug, but even through our service window we can catch up on how the family is doing, smile from behind our masks and wave goodbye emphatically as we see them head back to their cars.
What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned from this experience so far?
Alexis: The biggest lesson we learned was that we aren't easy to forget. We were shocked how many people visited us on our first day back and continue to be amazed at the growth we have seen in the past weeks.
Juan: We have learned we have a solid business that despite being closed for nearly three months is now stronger than ever. We're very proud of that!
Read more stories of how resilient businesses like Phoenix Coqui are adapting through a global pandemic and access the Business Resource Hub to find tips and tools that can help you stay open and connected.
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Interviews
September 29, 2020
How a Food Truck Reopened to Record-Breaking Sales in the Midst of an Ongoing Pandemic
When Alexis Carbajal took a vacation to Puerto Rico for the first time, he fell in love with the island, the food and his partner, Juan Alberto Ayala. Alexis then moved to Puerto Rico in 2013, and he and Juan began developing a plan to bring the “sazón” (seasoning) and “diversión” (fun) of Puerto Rico back to Alexis’ hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. In 2017 their food truck, Phoenix Coqui, hit the road for the first time, catering to late-night foodies and festival-goers around the US.
Fast forward to early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic had Alexis and Juan pumping the brakes. "We never imagined that during our busiest month of the year we would have to shut down our business,” says Alexis. “We felt defeated, like we had lost everything we had gained in the past three years.” Alexis and Juan closed up shop in March and spent the next three months figuring out how to stay healthy, keep their customers safe and reopen successfully.
A few months later, after some big operational changes, the duo is back in business. To their surprise and delight, these changes resulted in record-breaking sales. Wanting to hear the recipe to their recent success, we caught up with Alexis and Juan to learn more.
When you reopened Phoenix Coqui in June, how did you adapt your business model to respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Juan: Our top priority has always been and continues to be our customers. Keeping our customers updated during our closure and reopening was crucial. While being temporarily closed, we reassured our customers that we would reopen as soon as it was safe to do so. When we reopened, we had to make sure our customers would feel safe coming to order from us as we have an advantage in being small, outdoors and with very little contact. We made sure to emphasize the changes to ordering so that safety came first.
Alexis: We also adapted and went from being a late-night food truck to opening during the day, and from traveling around to different cities to participate in large festivals to remaining stationary in a parking lot.
How did you communicate these changes to your customers?
Alexis: Facebook has been the main tool that we have used to ensure that the line of communication between us and our customers remains open. With so much uncertainty, we wanted to ensure our customers were aware that our closure was temporary and that we had returned with all necessary precautions to ensure their safety and ours.
Juan: Messenger has also been essential. Having a way to send quick responses to our customers ensures that they are aware that we are open for business and there is a real person responding to their questions.
What are some of the results you’ve seen from this new business model?
Juan: Before the pandemic, we had a tremendous amount of contact and interaction with our customers. They could order from our truck and sit at a table to enjoy their meal with others. Now, customers are ordering and eating in their cars. While much of the interaction is gone, we have actually seen an increase in our customer base in the past few weeks alone.
Alexis: Little did we know that opening during the day and adapting to the new environment would lead to record-breaking sales. We have seen our business turn around and have had increasingly higher sales with every weekend that passes.
What kind of feedback have you gotten from customers as you’ve forged on through the pandemic?
Juan: Our customers never cease to amaze us. The response when we reopened was overwhelming. We had so many of our regulars return that first night and tell us how much they missed us, how much they missed our food and how much they have struggled with the social isolation from staying home.
Alexis: We are extremely fortunate to have an amazing customer base that eagerly awaited our return and came out in full force to welcome us back. We definitely miss being able to give all of our regulars a hug, but even through our service window we can catch up on how the family is doing, smile from behind our masks and wave goodbye emphatically as we see them head back to their cars.
What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned from this experience so far?
Alexis: The biggest lesson we learned was that we aren't easy to forget. We were shocked how many people visited us on our first day back and continue to be amazed at the growth we have seen in the past weeks.
Juan: We have learned we have a solid business that despite being closed for nearly three months is now stronger than ever. We're very proud of that!
Read more stories of how resilient businesses like Phoenix Coqui are adapting through a global pandemic and access the Business Resource Hub to find tips and tools that can help you stay open and connected.
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