His talk of expansion may sound as though he wants Hakuna Hospitality to build Santa Fe into a restaurant chain, but one of his most important tactics is to make each of his restaurants a little different from the others. The restaurants’ logos use the same typeface, but each one is branded with the image of a different animal, drawn in a native Mexican style. The Newark logo features a jaguar—“aggressive and strong,” Acuna says—while Wilmington’s image is a fun-loving monkey. For Del Pez, the three brightly colored fish are a natural, while a frog—“small and quick-thinking,” he says—captures the vibe he’s seeking at La Taqueria. When restaurant chains open new locations, “they are looking for a specific type of demographic,” Acuna says. “We don’t go for the demographic. We want to be part of the communities we go into, and we adapt to it.” As an example, he describes the differences between the Santa Fe locations and clientele in Newark and Wilmington. “Newark draws a younger crowd, and a little of everything— professionals, young people, University of Delaware students and faculty—while Wilmington has a more professional crowd,” he says. Interestingly, the difference in the customer profile has not triggered a parallel variation in the menus. While about 90 percent of the menu is identical at both locations, where there are differences, the selections in Wilmington tend to be more diverse, more aggressive, than in Newark, and they often cost a dollar or two more. In Newark, he explains, to satisfy a broader audience in an environment that is faster paced, the menu has to stay more middle of the road. In Wilmington, the pace is a little slower, the diners somewhat more adventurous.
While Acuna does not say Santa Fe patrons in Wilmington are more sophisticated than those in Newark, the implication is clear. “In Wilmington, we experiment with different types of ingredients. In Wilmington, we can add different dishes. In Wilmington, we have scallops. In Newark, it’s harder to sell scallops,” he says. At each of his restaurants, Acuna makes a commitment to use locally grown produce as often as possible. Among his suppliers are Vincent Farms in Laurel and Fifer Orchards in Wyoming. Running three restaurants, preparing to open a fourth and exploring two more sites is enough to keep Acuna running six days a week. He has been spending two days a week at each location, keeping Sundays as family time with his wife, Sarah, and his son, Mateo, who was born in March. Having known success throughout his career, Acuna has learned that careful management is the best way to prevent failure. “I don’t worry about failure,” he says. “I worry about not taking the right steps, about modifying things that aren’t working at the right moment.” Failure, he says, “is the absence of doing the right thing. It is not something that happens overnight. It comes when you neglect to make the right changes over time.” Adhering to that philosophy means that Hakuna Hospitality and its more than 130 employees must be innovative and flexible. Acuna wants to keep his menus “edgy,” with meals prepared by “chefs who are willing to experiment.” Most important, he wants all his employees to be passionate about the company and to appreciate the meals they serve every day. “We are about change,” he says. “We are about improving. We are about bringing people back day after day.”
GALLUCIO’S DAILY SPECIALS Mondays
3 Course Meal $25 includes App, Soup or Salad, and Entrée (5-9pm) Open Mic w/Anthony Gallucio & Friends 10-1am
Tuesdays
Family Night Kids under 10 eat FREE from Kids Menu
Wednesdays
½ Price Pizza (5-10pm) Quizzo w/Keith 8-11pm
Thursdays
½ Price Burgers All Day! Live Jazz Series 8-11pm
Fridays
½ Price Bottle of Wine (5-10pm) With purchase of 2 Dinner Entrees Open Mic w/ Anthony Gallucio Acoustic 8-11pm
Saturdays
All-Star Karaoke 9-1am
Sundays
Eagles Game Day! South Philly Cheese Steaks $4 (Wiz Wit or Wiz Witout!) And Soft Pretzels, too! 23oz. Yuenglings and Miller Lite Drafts *ALL NIGHTLY SPECIALS IN-HOUSE ONLY
INTRODUCING OUR SIGNATURE BURGER MENU! Paying Tribute to Our Neighborhood… The Forty Acres. Weekly Menu Features with Rotating Craft Beer Selection and New Wine List! Back By Popular Demand: Complimentary Cup of Soup w/Lunch Entrée • M-F 11-2pm
Happy Hour M-F 2-6pm $4 Craft Beers $2.25 Domestics
...Enjoy Your Favorites and So Much More! 1709 Lovering Ave • Wilmington • (302) 655-3689 • Gallucios-de.com
OCTOBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM
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