Sol Mexican Cocina said it’s seeing robust business, with its Newport Beach location nabbing growth in the months since reopening as it made modifications to its operations.
Sol’s made adjustments to how it serves guests amid the pandemic and state restrictions on indoor operations of businesses, reopening its doors with new safety and sanitation protocols in place, outdoor dining and off-premise services that include to go, delivery and curbside pick-up.
The measures have been good for business with the local restaurant’s first full month since reopening in June seeing a 17% increase in sales. The growth continued into July with the restaurant saying it recorded a 7% gain in sales compared to a year earlier.
Sol’s patio dining accounted for 77% of its overall sales for the month of July.
It’s pick-up and delivery channels, which were nearly non-existent pre-pandemic, accounted for 15% and 6%, respectively, of sales in July.
The off-premise channels for the restaurant were part of a program Sol had intended to roll out later this year, but COVID forced the need for the services much earlier.
The restaurant concept, started by a group of investors that included Mike and Jeff Mastro of the founding family behind Mastro’s Steakhouse, is operated by Cypress-based Xperience Restaurant Group and also has locations in Scottsdale, Playa Vista and Denver. Sol also has a sister concept in Solita Tacos & Margaritas, which has locations in Huntington Beach and Valencia.
Xperience closed on its acquisition of the two restaurant concepts late last year.