Improving Recipe Consistency with meez at Tortazo

Tortazo

BUSINESS TYPE

Fast Casual Restaurant

MEMBER

Heather Terhune

Associate Director of Culinary Operations

LOCATION

Chicago, IL

In this case study:

With meez’s recipe platform, CityBarbecue is able to…

Consistent Quality Standards: meez's recipe management tool empowers CityBarbecue to maintain and propagate their competition-quality standards across all locations.
‍Accessibility: By providing accessibility to recipes via tablets throughout the restaurants, meez ensured uniformity in recipes, improving staff satisfaction and enabling consistent execution of the brand's high-quality offerings.‍
Catering Operations Optimization: meez revolutionized CityBarbecue's catering operations. The tool enabled better preparation forecasting, allowing the company to accurately plan and prevent wastage

Tortazo, an embodiment of Chef Rick Bayless's culinary mastery, represents a celebration of Mexican cuisine, vibrant culture, and unwavering hospitality. Initially launched in Chicago's Willis Tower in 2020, it later expanded to New York City's NoMad area and subsequently opened a second location in the heart of Times Square in 2023.

“meez has played a pivotal role in ensuring recipe uniformity and staff accountability. The ease of use and real-time recipe updates have eliminated errors and have been a significant time saver.”

Challenges Before meez

When Heather Terhune joined as the Associate Director of Culinary Operations in June 2021, Tortazo was using Restaurant 365 and other third-party accounting and recipe systems. However, these platforms were deemed archaic and insufficient for recipe management, leading to scalability issues and a lack of interconnectivity among Tortazo's three locations.

Discovering meez

Seeking a more scalable and user-friendly solution to streamline their expanding operations, Tortazo started exploring alternatives. Through recommendations from chef acquaintances, they discovered meez as a potential partner.

“We needed a system that could seamlessly grow with us. Traditional systems lacked scalability; we needed a platform that could manage our recipes effortlessly.”

Implementation and Impact of meez

After adopting meez, Tortazo aimed to enhance training, reduce errors, and ensure recipe consistency across locations. Although not fully integrated into their costing system yet, meez helped Tortazo with:

Recipe Standardization: meez eradicated the chaos of multiple recipe versions, ensuring consistency across dishes.
Precise Scaling: The platform enabled accurate scaling, preventing overproduction and reducing waste.
Enhanced Training Experience: Digital training materials enriched with photos, videos, and documents facilitated quicker onboarding and skill enhancement for staff.
Seamless Onboarding: Acting as a central hub for resources, meez streamlined onboarding and made training materials readily accessible across their New York and Chicago locations.

Future Prospects and Expansion

Tortazo's vision involves further expansion, potentially into Vegas and additional locations within Chicago and airports. While they continue to refine the integration of meez into their operations, they anticipate achieving greater scalability and efficiency.

“meez has emerged as a valuable ally in Tortazo's quest for culinary excellence and operational efficiency. Through its user-friendly interface, scalable capabilities, and emphasis on consistency, meez has minimized errors and enhanced the overall staff training experience."