The leaps of Lito's Kitchen

1. How has Lito’s Kitchen changed since opening in 2016?

Starting a business is hard and starting a business without money is even harder. At the beginning, we didn’t have everything that we needed nor the look that we wanted, but we needed to start somewhere. Our business has transformed in countless ways since day one, and we continue to grow and evolve—both as a company and as owners—every single day.

2. Over the years, how have you gauged the needs of your customers when it comes to the items on your menu?

When I dreamt of opening my own kitchen, it was difficult to figure out what type of food or concept I should do.Typically, you already have an idea for your location and you’re pretty certain about what cuisine you’d like to serve, or you find a location first and figure out what will be served. I went with the latter of the two choices and decided on a location first. We looked around and chose an industrial area in Garland, Texas. The area was ideal because it was a food desert—making it the perfect place for something healthy, versatile, and fast. With that knowledge, we decided to focus on sandwiches, soups, salads, and bowls.

3. What was your push for incorporating fresh-baked bread onto your menu?

When we first opened our wholesale bakeries couldn’t deliver bread to us because we didn’t have enough volume. I wanted a specific type of bread for a specific sandwich. For a while, I went from one bakery to another to purchase the bread that I needed. Eventually, we were able to work with a local wholesale bakery that supplied our bread for several years. The customers really enjoyed it. But, about three years ago, I realized that I wanted to offer even fresher bread to my customers. So, I spent time with my friend and his wife who had opened an artisan bakery shop called KNEADS. Working at one of the best artisan bakeries in the country exposed me to the proper way to bake sourdough bread and I found it fascinating. I watched, and learned how they worked with local farmers, and milled their own flour. Since that experience, I began making fresh sourdough at Lito’s. For nearly a decade sandwiches were our top sellers, so baking our own sourdough bread just made sense.

4. What are your most popular items at Lito’s?

Lito's still offers the beloved base menu we launched with, featuring favorites like our grilled chicken, Cuban and turkey avocado sandwiches, mac and cheese, and Cobb salad. Over the years we’ve introduced special menu items that have gained popularity, like our chimichurri steak sandwich, barbacoa melt, grilled chicken bowl, chicken pozole verde, and poblano creamed corn. Currently our menu is composed of the classics and specials that became part of the menu. But honestly, everything on the menu sells. A lot of our customers come here almost three to four times a week, and they appreciate the variety.

5. Unlike so many other restaurants, Lito’s survived COVID. How were you able to get through the pandemic, and what have you learned since then?

Not only did the restaurant survive, we did so by the mercy of God. I know that we live in a world that’s constantly changing. Tastes change, and what worked once may not work later. The ability to adapt while still doing your very best is crucial. By the time the pandemic hit, we had already built our own app for online orders. We were also using other channels for orders.

6. Many restaurant owners have stated that since the pandemic, one of their most difficult issues has been keeping dependable employees. What has your experience been when it comes to the staff at Lito’s?

Employees will always be a challenging aspect of any business. We kept everyone on our team. We never laid anyone off because of the pandemic. There is always a rotation in this business, but I think retention has to do a lot with how you treat your employees.

7. What advice would you give to someone just starting out who is trying to juggle restaurant ownership and family life?

I think I do much better now than I did in the beginning, but I certainly had to learn the hard way. People often talk about balance, but there really isn’t. You must understand that the same way your passion and business need you, so does your family. It’s important to attend to these duties because without family, your success is worthless.

8. You recently added gluten-free bread to your menu. What was the push behind this decision?

We want to accommodate our customers as much as we can, although sometimes it's impossible. I can’t speak as a doctor, but a lot of the gluten intolerance has to do with the bad bread out there. So, the most important thing we wanted to do was make our own sourdoughbread from scratch.

9. As Lito’s approaches its monumental 10th anniversary, what are you most excited to share with both longtime and new customers?

Our commitment to make better food continues, from our bread to spreads. We would like to grow our bakery and perhaps one day mill our own flour.

10. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I would like to extend my gratitude to God first, my family, and all the customers that have supported us over the years. I am truly grateful.