Chapter 26

Matthew agreed to work at Alma’s restaurant for just two months. He ended up staying for six. The restaurant had more problems than he’d at first thought.

From the first, the staff didn’t trust him. According to Maria, one of the servers, the kitchen crew called him “New York” behind his back.

That didn’t bother him. The crew was protective of the place. They didn’t like an outsider, an Anglo to boot, coming into their kitchen and telling them how to do things. Plus, they were worried about keeping Alma’s true to its roots. Austin was changing fast. The old places were being replaced by trendy chain restaurants with no character.

The menu was the main problem. It had grown far too big over the years, with too many entrees. Eduardo, the owner, had made a habit of adding new dishes whenever business slowed down.

“Too many dishes, not enough focus,” Matthew told Eduardo and James Harrington. “Too much inventory to manage. Too much wastage. It’s killing your food cost numbers and your labor numbers. What’s worse, the entrees that make Alma’s special are getting lost in the rush.”

Instead of making wholesale changes right away, Matthew spent his first month just listening. He listened to the staff talk about problems, he listened to loyal customers sharing memories of their favorite dishes, and he listened to Eduardo talking about his family recipés.

Those family recipés were the soul of the place. They came straight from Eduardo’s mother and grandmother. They formed a cohesive menu that felt true to what Alma’s was all about.

Matthew focused on getting the basics right: house-made tortillas, good chile sauces, and well-prepared beans and rice.

“If we can’t do the basics right, nothing else matters,” he told the staff. “I’m not here to change what Alma’s is. I’m here to help you guys remember what made it special.”

Gradually, they came to trust him. Miguel, who had worked there the longest and was the heir apparent, was the most doubtful at first. He became Matthew’s ally after seeing how much Matthew respected the right way to make chile rellenos, a dish Miguel’s grandmother had taught him to make.

As the first two months ended, Matthew knew he needed more time. The basic improvements were underway, but there was more to do.

“I need a little more time,” he told James during their meeting. “We’ve fixed the foundation, but real change takes longer.”

James asked him why.

“What keeps you here? Your plan was to explore without settling down, but you seem really invested in Alma’s future.”

Matthew thought about it.

“Alma’s has something special under all the problems,” he said. “It’s not just a restaurant serving food, any of the chains can do that. This is a place where food brings your people together. That fits with what I’ve been exploring since I left New York.”

Over the next few months, Matthew did more than just fix problems. He spent time with Eduardo’s family, learning recipés from older relatives. He visited local farms to get better ingredients. He researched the history of Tex-Mex food.