How does a popular restaurant chain prepare for a Grand Opening at a new location? By inviting people to come to a smaller scale event called a soft opening.
If you drive by the new Tijuana Flats in Victory Plaza on the the west side of Apopka today or tomorrow you will see a lot of activity, but the new restaurant is not yet open to the general public. Those lucky enough to score tickets via social media and other means will get to sample the food at scheduled intervals today and tomorrow.
The day began with a ribbon cutting at 11:00 AM by the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce. After the ribbon cutting ceremony the members of the Chamber were invited into the restaurant where they ordered food and enjoyed the atmosphere.
At 11:30 AM the first of 3 waves of invited guests arrived and took their place in a line that moved remarkably fast for the first day of operation. There would be two more lunch waves at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM. Three more groups were invited at set times this evening. The soft opening will conclude tomorrow with 3 more invited lunch-
time groups.
The soft opening strategy provides the 30 or so new employees with a controlled environment to test their newly-acquired skills. According to the store manager, Kyle King, this is the first job for nearly half of the employees. The others came to Tijuana Flats from other restaurants.
The restaurant officially opens at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 31st.
Use this link to see more photos. Do not miss the lizard mural.
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