6 more ideas we stumbled upon in Los Angeles

We found so many great ideas on a recent restaurant tour in Los Angeles that we had to split them into two installments. While the first batch covered menu innovations, this batch takes a look at stealable operations ideas.

Fragrant Jerky in Rosemead, Calif., has a fiberglass shield between its employees and the grill to shield staff from oil splatter and intense heat. 

To build connections with customers, each Mendocino Farms employee is given a “relationship card” for them to keep track of regulars. Employees take handwritten notes on customers’ names, when they usually come in and any interesting tidbits they find, such as their occupation or favorite sports teams. Before Mendocino opens for business, employees at each restaurant nominate someone from their relationship card to be the Mendo Fan of the Day. That consumer’s name is then written on a board, and if they come in they’ll receive a free meal.

Another idea we stumbled upon at Mendocino Farms was the free samples to thank customers for waiting in line. While customers wait to pay for their food, employees are offering free samples of deli salads from the salad case next to the register. 

Multiple concepts featured chalkboard walls for doodling. Mendocino Farms had a chalkboard wall for kids, while casual-dining brewpub Public School 213 had chalkboard walls in its bar area for doodling near the dart boards. 

Lunch can get hectic at Tender Green’s downtown Los Angeles location, so to ease the in-restaurant lines, the concept features an outdoor takeout window solely for online orders. Those who order online can go right to the window to pick up their food instead of navigating through the crowd inside. 

For an energy-saving cooler that also adds a vintage touch, limited-service concept Chicas Tacos keeps grab-and-go beverages in an old-fashioned bathtub.