Fiesta Ranchera

Strategic Organizational Plan

March 30, 2021

ISSUED BY

REPRESENTATIVES
JOANNA CARDONA
OLIVIA CIRIGNANI
ISABELLE THOMPSON
REBEKAH CARTLIDGE
AUSTIN ALLEN
SIERRA ATTEBERRY
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................2
1.0 Organization Background ........................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Business definition ...................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Vision ................................................................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Mission.............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.4 Value Proposition.......................................................................................................................... 3
1.5 Organization Structure .............................................................................................................. 4
1.6 History & Culture ......................................................................................................................... 4
2.0 Situation Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation............................................................................................... 5
2.2 Stakeholders Affected ............................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Competition ................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3.1 Cuisine………………...................................................................................................................... 6
2.3.2 Atmosphere ................................................................................................................................ 7
2.3.3 Ratings…........................................................................................................................................ 7
2.3.4 Location …..................................................................................................................................... 8
2.4 SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................................... 9
2.5 Market Position ........................................................................................................................... 11
3.0 Plan ................................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 Objectives, Strategies & Tactics............................................................................................ 12
3.2 Critical Success Factors .......................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Key Performance Indicators ................................................................................................. 16
3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations............................................................................................ 17
3.5 Timeline.......................................................................................................................................... 17
3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results....................................................................... 18
Appendices ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
A. Floor Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 20
B. Government Regulation Sign .................................................................................................. 21
C. Table Signs ..................................................................................................................................... 22
D. QR Code……………………………….................................................................................................. 23
E. Social Media Posts…………………................................................................................................ 24
F. Interactive Content………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
G. Social Media Stickers………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
H. Tuesday Margarita Deals………………………………………………………………………………… 26
I. HireARedbird ...………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
J. Intuit Quickbooks ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
K. Budget …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 29
L. Timeline …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31
References.............................................................................................................................................................. 32

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Executive Summary
Fiesta Ranchera is a Mexican restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois that provides the
Bloomington-Normal community with a festive environment in which to enjoy authentic
Mexican dining and margaritas at a good price. Fiesta is run by the Canchola family and has
been well known in the area since they opened 19 years ago. Fiesta Ranchera seeks to become
more efficient and innovative with the way they operate by keeping and retaining employees and
updating their systems so they can continue serving the Bloomington-Normal community. The
COVID-19 pandemic has brought about its own set of challenges as restaurant patrons are
concerned for their own safety. Fiesta Ranchera is also looking for ways to make their guests feel
more comfortable while dining in.

This is a proposed plan for the 2021-2022 fiscal years. This plan was created after extensively
analyzing Fiesta’s current situation and meeting with them. We also received feedback from
customers and employees and based on what we gathered, we created 5 objectives that can
increase Fiesta’s growth and capability.

The objectives for this plan include:

● To make 55% of college aged students 18-24 comfortable eating at Fiesta
● Increase employee job understanding by 50%
● To increase online ordering through Fiesta’s custom delivery system by 10%
● To increase awareness of Fiesta Ranchera among college aged students 18-24
● To update and organize their finances from a paper to a digital format.

The objectives being met by the allotted time frame will make this plan a success. By completing
the objectives it will enhance Fiesta Ranchera as a business overall. A COVID-19 response plan
will be helpful in making their target audience of college students feel more comfortable dining
in. The focus in increasing employee understanding will help the business retain their employees.
By creating an online ordering and delivery system, customers are provided with a variety of
selections for how they wish to receive their food. Maintaining and spreading awareness of
Fiesta will increase customers. Finally, updating and organizing their finances from paper to
digital format will keep Fiesta more organized so they can keep track of information more
efficiently.

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1.o Organizational Background
This section explores the core business of Fiesta Ranchera. It will define the type of restaurant, its vision,
its mission, its value proposition, its organizational structure, and its history and culture. All this
information will provide the supplementary material needed to understand the situational analysis in
section 2.0 and the plan in section 3.0.

1.1 Business Definition

Fiesta Ranchera, locally known as “Fiesta” is a mexican restaurant located at 1500 E Empire St,
Bloomington, IL 61701. Nineteen years ago Fiesta became the first mexican restaurant
established in the area of Bloomington-Normal. Fiesta, a family owned mexican restaurant, has
recently dealt with many difficulties due to the ongoing pandemic. However, they continue to
provide their customers with a great experience and delicious meals.

Fiesta contributes to the community of Bloomington-Normal by being extremely personable and

making great connections with their customers. They provide a comfortable environment for
people of all ages to come and enjoy their quality food.

1.2 Vision

To create an environment within the Bloomington-Normal community that is an enjoyable space

for families to spend time together as well as enjoying a freshly made meal at a good price.

1.3 Mission

Fiesta’s mission is to provide locals with delicious mexican food and sensational margaritas at a
good price.

1.4 Value Proposition

Values customer service, customer satisfaction, customer retention, try to make people feel like
they are at home, don’t want to feel too corporate. Fast service, consistent products.

Fiesta’s family oriented culture and authentic mexican food separates them from other
restaurants in the community. Focusing on the customers and offering great deals also makes
Fiesta stand out. Fiesta has been offering great service for decades and has proven their
consistency and commitment to serving their customers and the Bloomington-Normal
community.

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1.5 Organization Structure

Fiesta’s structure keeps the traditional hierarchy, which is made up of one Owner, three
Managers, five Servers and three Line Cooks. This structure is constructed in this manner
because Fiesta is a locally owned restaurant that provides excellent food for the Normal/
Bloomington community. Fiesta is a restaurant that makes most of its income from the sales of
their menu items.

Fiesta does not own a physical employee handbook that outlines the responsibilities and
expectations of each employee. Including a handbook for the employees that has detailed
explanations and elaborates on the expectations of each role is a resource we suggest to be
developed.

Owners- Nicholas Canchola

Managers- Roger Canchola, Ramone Canchola, Valerie Canchola

Servers- Gilbert Moto, Valerie Canchola, Ramone Canchola, Connor Allison, Mirsa Lopez

Cooks- Leo Guzman, Rigo Marin, Rigo jr Munoz

1.6 History & Culture

The original Fiesta Ranchera was started by the five Canchola brothers who had a dream to
provide delicious Mexican food in a family friendly environment. The Canchola family are
originally from Jalisco, Mexico, otherwise known as the tequila state. The family then relocated
to California at a later date and then eventually came to Illinois. They knew when creating their
menu that they wanted to include familiar tastes from home. Being from the tequila state they
knew that their special recipe for margarita’s was something they wanted to share with others.
They describe their style of food as a mixture of Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican. Their most
popular dishes are named after family members such as “Rogers Special”, “Ramon’s Spicy
Special”, and they even pay homage to the Bloomington-Normal area with the “Redbird Special”
relating back to Illinois State University.

The first restaurant was opened in Kentucky in the early 90’s and was a success. Since then they
have brought Fiesta Ranchera to central Illinois, with the first Illinois location being in Pekin.
They now own and operate six locations total throughout the midwest with three total locations
in the Bloomington-Normal location.

Specifically, the Empire Street location opened in 2002 when Nicholas Canchola decided that
having a location close to Eastland Mall would be convenient for shoppers. The majority of their

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employees are family members, Nicholas has three of his four children working at this specific
location. Fiesta Ranchera on Empire has a range of customers but most are returning customers
who enjoy sticking with this location due to the home-like atmosphere, and remarkable customer
service.

2.0 Situational Analysis

2.1 Definition & Scope of Situation

Fiesta Ranchera is a family-owned Mexican restaurant that has been serving the
Bloomington-Normal area since 2002. Fiesta serves authentic Mexican food and great margaritas
at an affordable price. Fiesta has a rich history and continues to pride itself on providing the
same family-like atmosphere for their customers that they serve.

We have identified a few things Fiesta could improve on to make sure they can offer the best
service possible and stay ahead of their competition. Currently, they lack in areas such as
employee retention and recruitment as well as being able to improve their online ordering
system. Fiesta has had issues with people quitting shortly after starting or not coming into work.
With only 12 employees, this puts stress on everyone else to work even harder. Fiesta was also
not fully prepared for Covid-19 and has struggled to be able to adjust and offer an alternative to
dining in and offering an improved online ordering system for customers. By upgrading and
working on this system, they could reach more customers quickly and conveniently. They could
also easily manage their transactions and records by having them all online.

Fiesta also could benefit from a more active social media presence as well as promoting their
location better. With so many restaurants in Bloomington-Normal, Fiesta would benefit to
maximize their social media presence and reach out to as many people as possible. By organizing
and having a plan for their social media, they can get involved and interact with a bigger
audience in the area and it also gives them a better platform to promote their great deals. Their
location is also not in a great location either. Adding more signs to the area close to their
business could help increase the number of customers that they can serve.

2.2 Stakeholders Affected

Fiesta Ranchera aims to provide high quality authentic Mexican food for the
Bloomington-Normal area. Fiesta relies on various stakeholders to achieve this goal and serve
the community.

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For Fiesta, the internal stakeholders include employees. Employees help the business run
smoothly by carrying out the services and making sure the customers have a quality experience
and continue to come back.

External stakeholders include customers, vendors, and surrounding businesses. Customers come
to Fiesta as they enjoy the food and experience. They want Fiesta to be successful so that they
can keep coming back. Vendors support Fiesta by providing them their products and supplies.
Surrounding businesses are also stakeholders as they compete for customers and business with
Fiesta.

2.3 Competition

Fiesta Ranchera is one of many restaurants in the Bloomington-Normal area that serves Mexican
cuisine. This leads to a high amount of competition. Along with competition from other
restaurants, Fiesta competes against the other Fiesta Ranchera’s that they own in
Bloomington-Normal. While there are 21 other restaurants who describe themselves as a
Mexican eatery, not all of these restaurants provide competition. The highest competition for
Fiesta are the restaurants that focus on providing a family friendly sit down environment where
they can serve a Tex-Mex style of food.

2.3.1 Cuisine

Fiesta Ranchera focuses on providing a Tex-Mex style of cuisine to their customers with recipes
that have been passed down through their family for generations. While there are many Mexican
restaurants in the area, only a few specialize in the Tex-Mex style of cuisine.

1. Fiesta Ranchera(s)- All of the Fiesta Ranchera restaurants in Bloomington-Normal give

hearty portions with fresh flavor. With Tex-Mex being their main style of cuisine they
also add some authentic flavors from Mexico such as cumin and chile powder that make
their dishes stand out among the rest.
2. Los Potrillos- Los Potrillos cuisine has a wide variety of flavors, as they are best known
for their combinations of fajitas. They also include a variety of fresh vegetables like
peppers and onions in almost all of their dishes.
3. La Bamba- Known well in Uptown Normal, La Bamba is notorious for their giant and
original burritos. Their burritos are a Tex-Mex style and provide customers with a unique
and consistent flavor in every bite.
4. Hacienda Leon- While they have a Tex-Mex style, Hacienda Leon is known for their
beautifully styled dishes. They offer unique ingredients such as cilantro and mexican

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 oregano that set them aside from similar Tex-Mex style restaurants in the
Bloomington-Normal area.
5. Herradura- Herradura has an extensive menu of Tex-Mex cuisine, mixed with a twist of
authentic Mexican. They pride themselves on their balance of the two which provides
customers with fresh ingredients every time.

2.3.2 Atmosphere

Fiesta strives to provide a friendly atmosphere where guests can sit down and enjoy time with
each other, especially college students and their friends. Their restaurant is set up to give guests
an authentic feel as though they are dining in Mexico.

1. Fiesta Ranchera(s)- While each individual restaurant in the Fiesta chain has a different
layout, the atmosphere provided is the same. They are able to provide a friendly
atmosphere that is inviting to groups with both booth and table seating along with
incorporating authentic Mexican elements into the dining experience.
2. Los Potrillos- Los Potrillos focuses on creating a sit down environment. Their decor and
environment that they have created inside their restaurant is very similar to that of
Fiesta’s. They have colorful murals hand painted on the walls that reflect Mexican
culture.
3. Vera Cruz- While small, Vera Cruz makes customers feel right at home. They have
spacious booths and beautiful hand-painted wells that give you an authentic feel, very
similar to that of Fiesta Ranchera.
4. Hacienda Leon- Hacienda Leon emphasizes an authentic Mexican experience when
dining in their restaurant. They offer a more upscale dining experience; however, they
provide a group friendly feel with plenty of room for their customers to sit with their
friends or family and enjoy each other’s company while they dine. Hacienda Leon also
provides outdoor seating for those who prefer their Mexican cuisine in the sun.
5. Mexa Maya- Mexa Maya provides a group friendly environment for their guests. Dining
in offers a very spacious area with plenty of room for big parties. It is always clean and
well decorated to provide customers a feeling of home while they dine. Their decor is a
very traditional hispanic style to bring customers a feeling of Mexico.

2.3.3 Ratings

Upon surveying the Bloomington-Normal area we had a total of 80 participants provide their
feedback on local competition to Fiesta Ranchera on Empire. The survey was put out across
social media of individuals who reside in the Bloomington-Normal area for adults and college
age to fill out. The survey included a list of all restaurants in competition with Fiesta Ranchera as
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well as Fiesta Ranchera. Participants were asked to rate each restaurant on a scale of one to five
stars based on their experience at each establishment or to choose the never been option if they
had never been to the restaurant. The following is the results from the survey on a scale from 1-5
stars listed in order of how strongly they compete with Fiesta’s 4.5 star rating.

1. Veracruz 4.7 stars

2. Ancho and Agave 4.6 stars
3. Fiesta Ranchera Veteran’s Dr. Location 4.3 stars
4. Fiesta Ranchera JC Parkway Location 4.1 stars
5. Los Potrillos 4.0 stars
6. Hacienda Leon 4.0 stars
7. Tony’s Tacos Main Street 3.8 stars
8. Taqueria El Portón 3.7 stars
9. Tony’s Tacos Downtown 3.7 stars
10. Poblano Burritos 3.6 stars
11. La Bamba Mexican Restaurant 3.5 stars
12. Las Margaritas Mexican Bar and Grill 3.4 stars
13. Herradura 3.1 stars
14. Eric’s Restaurant 3.0 Stars
15. Mexa Maya 2.9 stars
16. Eric’s Too Family Restaurant and Lounge 2.5 stars

2.3.4 Location

There are five restaurants within a two mile radius of Fiesta Ranchera that serve Mexican
cuisine.

1. Veracruz is the closest in competition to Fiesta, it is located 1.0 miles away. Veracruz
provides a similar atmosphere to Fiesta Ranchera leading them to be a strong competitor.
2. Herradura is in close proximity to Fiesta Ranchera at 1.3 miles away. Herradura provides
their guests with a Tex-Mex style of cooking similar to that of Fiesta.
3. Hacienda Leon is only 1.6 miles away from Fiesta Ranchera on Empire Street. Hacienda
Leon is a strong competitor for Fiesta. Hacienda Leon provides not only an atmosphere like
Fiesta’s they also incorporate a Tex-Mex style of food into their traditional Mexican dishes.
4. Fiesta Ranchera on Veteran’s Drive is very close, as it is only 1.8 miles away. Fiesta
Ranchera on Veteran’s is located in close proximity even though they have the same owners as
Fiesta on Empire. This location is not only close but provides the same environment and cuisine,
sharing menus and recipes with all the Fiesta’s owned by the same family.

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 5. Taqueria El Portón, another town favorite, is only 2.0 miles from Fiesta Ranchera.
Although they do not offer a Tex-Mex style cuisine they do offer traditional mexican flavors.
They provide a more low scale dining experience for their customers than Fiesta Ranchera. They
are still in close proximity and are able to provide an in house dining experience that leads them
to loosely compete with Fiesta.

2.4 SWOT Analysis

Aspects Implications Possible Actions

Strengths Affordable pricing Having affordable prices keeps their Include their affordable prices in
customers returning and content. marketing especially to college
students since they are the people
looking for affordable places to
eat.

Strong brand Customers are familiar and are Create a loyalty or rewards
awareness with comfortable with the company they program that encourages
recognizable slogan have come to know. customers to return to Fiesta
and logo rather than another Mexican
restaurant in town since there are
so many different choices.

Wide adoption of There is a consistent selection of menu Create an easy to use digital menu
menu throughout the items at all three locations. that is COVID and tech friendly.
three locations

Long-standing On Thursday, Fiesta has ½ price Push out the daily promotions on
success with margaritas, this causes an influx of social media accounts weekly to
margarita sales and college students to go to the restaurant inform followers on the deals
promotions on this day and causes the restaurant to available.
be very busy.

Consistent meeting Customers (specifically college Be consistent and personable

expectations in guest students) remember the service, even with customers, especially those
experience and when restaurants were closed and that continue to return despite
product delivery. looked forward to the return. They feel the pandemic.
a connection to the cafe because
students have been going for multiple
years and have created special
experiences at the restaurant.

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 One of the most The success of Fiesta Ranchera in
locally known Bloomington is often spread through
Mexican restaurants word of mouth with Illinois State
students.
Weaknesses Increased Fiesta needs to compete with other local
competition. restaurants, especially since college
students are looking for inexpensive,
quality food and service.
Due to lack of consistent workers, the
Focus on in-person concern is meeting the customers
experiences. needs. Fiesta should be working
towards creating a personable and
unique experience to customers.
The name of Fiesta is not being seen
Lack in social media across all platforms and other Mexican
presence. restaurants show up on searches closer
to the top
Was fined due to having too high of a
Poor initial response capacity inside their building; going
to Covid-19 against CDC rules, this created concern
with the safety and the experience of
the restaurant.
Mall Location Not having as much mall traffic does
affect the traffic that flows from the
mall to Fiesta.
Opportunities Wide adoption of Creating an easier more exclusive way
online ordering of ordering Fiesta’s food items
portal
Initiate new methods It is crucial for your new customers to
for location awareness know where you are located and
communicate with your returning
customers that Fiesta is open during this
pandemic season.
Evolving pandemic This allows employees to come back to
and adaptive work and adds a surge of consumeristic
measures. enthusiasm into the community.
Allowing for indoor dining is another
adaptive measure!
Encourage customers to
recommend the restaurant to
peers and offer compensation for
doing so
Express the speed and quality of
food on social media and pay to
promote the posts
Take time while hiring new
employees to ensure that they
will fit the environment and
experience of Fiesta
Work on building up different
social media platforms so we
can connect with college
students not just at Fiesta but
online through social media.
Accept blame and promise to
strictly follow guidelines and
safety precautions to customers
through actions and new
restrictions.
Create unique ways for new
traffic to come in from other
locations like Homegoods or
Five below.
Create an online ordering portal
with designated time slots to be
efficient for both customers and
workers
Put signs closer to Veteran’s
Parkway so that potential
customers are aware of the
restaurant, as well as easy
directions on website and social
media
Ensure all employees are aware
of CDC guidelines and
encourage them to be positive
while at work to ensure a
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 positive experience for
customers.

Growing popularity Fiesta needs to learn how to harness its
on social media platforms that it has available and learn
how to create an interactive community
with college students online so they can
share and repost to their own
communities on social media.
Create a relationship between
Fiesta and their customers by
interacting through comments
and tags in social media posts

Threats Other major local Having other Mexican restaurants around Promote their use of freshly
restaurants created competition to keep and retain made ingredients as well as
customers being a family business to
appeal to various audiences

Building Structure Poor quality building infrastructure Constantly be on the lookout for
created a hazardous environment to new buildings in areas that are
employees and customers visible and have enough space to
expand their business

Rising cases of With the rise of cases happening within Be prepared to have alternative
COVID-19 threaten the last year, there is always a chance ways to provide customers with
another shut-down. for the governor to shut restaurants the Fiesta experience with the
down again. use of easy online ordering and
outdoor seating with heat lamps

2.5 Market Position

Fiesta Ranchera is a restaurant with the goal of providing predominantly 18-24 year old females
and college students with delicious Mexican food and sensational margaritas at a good price.
Fiesta Ranchera has also established themselves as a place for families to enjoy. Fiesta stands out
from their competition by providing locals and college students with authentic dishes and
restaurant experiences that make them feel immersed in the Mexican culture.

As the world struggles to deal with the ongoing pandemic, Fiesta and other restaurants have been
hit hard. With a lack of proper indoor dining, Fiesta struggles to provide its customers with the
authentic festive experience they were once revered for. Fiesta has received monetary fines for
letting people dine in during this time which has affected how some view the brand and has
created issues for them in the eyes of their target audience of 18-24 year old females and college
students. The lack of college students on campus and the covid regulations have greatly impacted
Fiesta’s short term income by taking away customers as well as limiting the amount of customers
who are able to comfortably and safely dine in. However, they continue to put up a fight against
other restaurants in the same market.

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 Fiesta uses the finest ingredients such as cilantro and mexican oregano to prepare
made-from-scratch meals with special recipes and sauces. The recipes stand out from those used
at competing restaurants because they are family recipes that have been passed down. These
family recipes allow the chefs to create delicious meals that remind the restaurant goer of true
mexican cuisine. This is different from other restaurants because the chefs at Fiesta Ranchera
cook with the intent to make the customers feel as if they are experiencing true Mexican culture.
Fiesta not only serves alcohol for those of drinking age but they also offer half priced margarita
deals on Thursday. This stands out from their competitors because it contributes to the unique
and festive environment the restaurant has. Fiesta has established themselves as a place for
mostly college students and females aged 18-24 to go to enjoy delicious food and drinks as well
as socialize with their friends.

3.0 Plan
This section provides a plan of action for Fiesta Ranchera to complete during the fiscal year
(October, 1, 2021, to September, 30, 2022). This plan will allow Fiesta Ranchera to implement
necessary changes in order to properly achieve Fiesta Rancheras mission and vision for the
restaurant. This plan will include 6 sections. The first section will go over objectives, strategies,
and tactics. The following sections will focus on critical success factors, key performance
indicators, budget and resource allocations, and an implementation timeline. Finally, the last
section will go over the final evaluation method and anticipated results.

3.1 Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

Objectives Strategies Tactics

To make 55% of college aged Strategic planning Create a floor plan using SocialTables
students 18-24 comfortable eating that follows the government rules. (See
at Fiesta Training Strategy Appendix A)

(Rationale: Fiesta Ranchera has
previously been fined for not
following COVID-19 regulations.
These tactics will ensure that
college students aged 18-24 are
safe when dining in and eating
from this establishment)
(Benchmark: 15.4% said they did
Compliance Strategy
Create and display government
regulation signs (See Appendix B)
Create laminated table signs that display
the cleanliness of the tables. (See
Appendix C)
Create an online QR code menu (See
Appendix D)

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not trust Fiesta at all. 23.1% said
they did not feel completely Employee training on COVID-19
confident at Fiesta. 30.8% said guidelines
they did not trust or distrust Fiesta.

In a snowball survey 30.8% said

that they completely trust fiesta Keeping up to date with guidelines
with their safety in a covid
environment )

Increase employees job Recruitment strategy Emphasize expectations to employees

understanding by 50% prior to hiring
Internal communication
Create and distribute an employee
(Rationale: Fiesta has issues with Employee feedback strategy handbook
keeping talented employees from
quitting and this forces them to Have weekly team meetings
continually spend their energy on
Employee evaluations
recruitment/retainment. )
Employee surveys
(Benchmark: 88.9% of employees
stated that they did not fully
understand the job expectations.

To increase online ordering
through Fiesta’s custom delivery
system by 10%.
(Rationale: the fees to use services
like DoorDash or UberEats are too
expensive for the restaurant. By
creating Fiestas own online
ordering and delivery system it
saves the restaurant money)
Hire Website Developer Train employees to manage new online
ordering and delivery systems.
Hire Delivery Driver
Using social media to highlight their
Custom System Strategy new online services (See Appendix E)
Social Media Strategy Maintenance of deliver system

(Benchmark: No current
Benchmark ATM )

To increase awareness of Fiesta Branding Strategy for Create interactive content on stories to
Ranchera among college aged Instagram communicate with college students aged
students 18-24 by 40% throughout 18-24 (See Appendix F)
the fiscal year.

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(Rationale: Fiesta has a lack of
social media specifically for this
location. They have accounts on
only two social media sites,
Instagram and Facebook.)
Social Media Strategy
Special Events Strategy
Hire Social Media Intern
Create stickers for college students aged
18-24 to use on their social media
accounts (See Appendix G)
Encourage students to use location
specific hashtags like #FiestaFun and
#FiestaOnEmpire (See Appendix G)

(Benchmark: They currently have Make all Fiesta Ranc hera social media
679 followers on Facebook and accounts uniform with one another
receive anywhere from 7-51 likes
per post. They do not currently Offer the Thursday Margarita Deals on
have an Instagram for this Tuesday for people who follow Fiesta on
location.) Empire on Instagram and post a picture
to their Instagram Story using the
Margarita Tuesday sticker (See
Appendix H)

-HireARedbird (See Appendix I)

To increase a digital budget for Financial Organization Register for an Intuit Quickbook account
ownership by 100% (See Appendix J)
Hire Finance Intern
(Rational: Time spent on the paper HireARedbird (See Appendix I)
budget is time that could be spent
improving the business in other
ways)

(Benchmark: No current digital

budget.)

3.2 Critical Success Factors

The following table describes three categories of factors that could affect Fiesta Ranchera both
positively and negatively when trying to fulfill its objectives.
- Opportunities include occasions where Fiesta Ranchera can capitalize the situation to
build its image and increase member support and engagement.

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 - Barriers include ideological, attitudinal, or social opposition to Fiesta Ranchera
- Environment includes internal and external factors that could affect Fiesta Rancheras
objectives and operations.
- Resources include the employees and materials necessary to fulfill business objectives.

Objectives Opportunities Barriers Environment Resources

To implement a Improve COVID-19 Enhance the Creation of

COVID-19 reputation in the might be at a public dining updated
response plan eyes of female different place environment guideline
by January 7th college students when where customers booklet for
2022 implementing can feel safe and employees
Increase this protected.
employee Creation of signs
understanding of Employes might Modify the and displays
COVID not follow environment
guidelines guidelines the where Creation of QR
same way government code online
Covid-19 menu
guidelines are
respected.

To increase Improve Some employees Create a family Create and print

employee employee are college environment paper employee
retention by interaction with students that between handbooks and
50% by Fiesta have outside workers. distribute to all
January 31st obligations new and current
2022 Increase and/or are only Outline workers.
opportunities for in the employee
employees to Bloomington-No responsibilities Host mandatory
grow within rmal community and expectations employee
Fiesta for a set amount to have clear meetings once a
of years. communication. week to improve
Allow for communication
employees to and morale.
effectively meet
staff expectancy

To increase To use our social Outdated Create online Update current

social media media platforms Facebook page space for new social media.
presence by effectively to and old
40% March brings in new customers to Create accounts
31st 2022 customers interact with the on new social

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 brand media platforms
Generate unique
interactions with
current
customers

To implement Give customers No current Create a separate Promote the new

an online a wider variety internal ordering employee station delivery service
ordering and of ordering or delivery designated to on social media
delivery system. options. system. delivery orders. accounts.

Simplify the Currently, there Train and hire a

ordering process is not a delivery driver.
for some users. designated
delivery driver
on staff.

To update and This will make Current records Create space to Keep track of
organize their the retrieval of of finances are keep all paper digital finances
finances from a finances easier. in an outdated finances. by using the
paper to a format through a Intuit Quickbook
digital format. Improved checkbook. Designate a account.
security on specific
financial computer in the
information. restaurant for
digital records.

3.3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Objective 1 - To implement a COVID-19 response plan by January 7th 2022

- Benchmark - 15.4% said they did not trust Fiesta at all. 23.1% said they did not feel
completely confident at Fiesta. 30.8% said they did not trust or distrust Fiesta. 30.8% said
that they completely trust fiesta.
- KPI – Each month complete 10% of COVID-19 response plan
- Analyze the results with employees at monthly meetings and gather feedback on
what is and is not working in the response plan.

Objective 2 - Increase employees job understanding by 50%.

- Benchmark - 88.9% of employees stated that they did not fully understand the job
expectations.
- KPI - Increase employee job understanding by 4.2% every month.

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 - Analyze the employee survey results and adjust efforts where necessary to ensure
employee happiness and retention.

Objective 3 - To increase online ordering through Fiesta’s custom delivery system by 10%.
- Benchmark - No current benchmark.
- KPI - Increase online ordering through Fieta’s customer delivery by 0.8% each month.
- Use social media to promote custom delivery system and consistently check that
the system is working correctly.

Objective 4 - To increase awareness of Fiesta Ranchera among college aged students 18-24 by
40% throughout the fiscal year.
- Benchmark - They currently have 679 followers on Facebook and receive anywhere
from 7-51 likes per post. They do not currently have an Instagram for this location.
- KPI - Social media presence should increase by 3.3 percent every month.
- Track the amount of interactions and followers each week and implement
different tactics accordingly.

Objective 5 - To increase a digital budget for ownership by 100%.

- Benchmark - No current digital budget.
- KPI - Each month the budget digital budget content should increase by 8.3%.
- Stay on track by updating the budget each month with the help of a financial
intern to save time and stay organized.

3.4 Budget & Resource Allocations

In this proposed budget, we accounted for the cost that it would take to execute our objectives
and tactics. Fiesta Ranchera makes more than enough money per year to cover the cost of
making things like QR code menus and table signs. The budget also allows us to have incentives
for customers which include receiving a free meal. Overall, this budget will allow us to make
necessary changes to the business. (See Appendix L)

3.5 Timeline

If Fiesta Ranchera accepts the proposed plan, they will need to follow a timeline beginning in
October, 1, 2022 and ending August, 30, 2022. The purpose of this timeline is to make sure that
all milestones are met in order to keep the plan going. This timeline will help management
understand what should be done and when. The timelines milestones are organized by color
according to their corresponding objectives. The managerial staff will be in charge of
17
determining the logistics for the milestone completion. See Appendix K for proposed 2021-2022
timeline.

3.6 Evaluation Method & Anticipated Results

To determine the success of our plan, assessments will need to be implemented and examined
throughout the process. We decided on these assessments after conducting surveys and gathering
customer feedback. The assessments in the plan include creating a Covid response plan,
improving employee retention, increasing social media presence, implementing an online
ordering and delivery system, and updating their finances from paper to digital. These
assessments should be measured throughout the plan along with the KPIs we have come up with.
By improving on these objectives, Fiesta can become a more efficient and profitable business.

Objective 1 - Implement a covid response plan by January 7th, 2022

● By creating a floor plan, having enough space, and resources to make sure customers
feel safe, Fiesta will maximize the number of potential customers coming into the
restaurant. It will also allow the restaurant to avoid being hit with fines from regulators.
● If the objective is unsuccessful, Fiesta could see less business as customers may not feel
safe to dine in as well as possible issues with keeping up with regulations.

Objective 2 - Increase employees job understanding by 50%

● If this objective is successful, Fiesta should see a decrease in new hires and an increase
in employee retention by the end of the year. Employees of Fiesta will also have
increased opportunities to advance and grow in the business.
● If the objective is not met, Fiesta will need to continue allocating their resources into
training and recruitment to make sure they have enough employees and staff.

Objective 3 - To increase online ordering through Fiesta’s custom delivery system by 10%.

● By creating and implementing their own online ordering and delivery system, Fiesta can
save money by allowing them to operate their own system compared to using more
expensive options like Grubhub or DoorDash.
● If this objective is unsuccessful, Fiesta will have to continue using more expensive
services like Grubhub and DoorDash.

18
Objective 4 – To increase awareness of Fiesta Ranchera among college aged students 18-24 by
40% throughout the fiscal year.

● If this objective is successful, Fiesta will be able to see an increase in the number of posts
they create as well as engagement from their audience. Fiesta should also see an increase
in followers if the objective is successful.
● If this objective is unsuccessful, Fiesta would see a decrease in engagement across social
media platforms and will need to find other avenues for promoting their restaurant that
would reach their audience.

Objective 5 - To increase a digital budget for ownership by 100%

● By moving their finances and records to digital format, Fiesta can improve their overall
efficiency as well as the security of their records.
● If this objective is unsuccessful, Fiesta will continue to keep their records on paper and
there will be no change in their actions.

19
Appendices

A - FloorPlan

https://www.socialtables.com/

20
B - Government Regulations Sign

21
C - Table Signs

22
D - QR Code

23
E - Social Media Post on Online Services

24
F- Interactive Content

25
G- Social Media Stickers

H-Tuesday Margarita Deals

26
I- HireARedbird

https://careerservices.illinoisstate.edu/hire/

27
J-How to Register for Intuit Quickbooks.

28
K - Organizational Budget

29
30
L - Timeline for Fiesta

31
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