Nuestra Gente
our people
It's taken 3 years to build the teams that we have; whether at our sister restaurants República and Lilia, or here at De Noche. There is a commonality among the people who work for us, some call it Latinidad, others Orgullo...
For us its simply a mix of familiarity and pride.
At the moment, our team is composed of 12 employees, 10 of them of Latinx descent, more specifically, Mexican.
Half of our team are women, including our Executive Chef, Dani Morales.
El Equipo
El Maestro
Todos Juntos
all together.
When you are here for dinner, especially around the Chef's Counter, you will hear our Chef often say the word
"Manos" out loud, which translates to "hands".
This is our call for those working on the floor to come and assist at the expo table, in other words "The dish is ready. Come get it, please".
For everyone here, the word has become a please and thank you, no matter where any of us are in the room. Any time we hear it, our response becomes "Oído" (heard).
Over time it has taken on a different meaning, really more of a way in which we communicate and at the same time, look out for each other.
Intentionality
Throughout our space you will find the work of incredible Women along our walls. Whether it's the beautiful painting on display in the center of the room, to the Oaxacan made rugs that hang along the walls, everything here has a Purpose.
For most of us, it is a reminder not just of the work and sacrifice by our people; parents, grandparents, older siblings. But more than anything, the artwork is there to remind us all of the beauty of our stories and the talent of our people.
A Better Restaurant.
Mexican food is not all the same.
People from Mexico, are not all the same.
Yet somehow, when you walk into most Mexican establishments, there is an odd familiarity between the decor and the food offerings. Even the music sometimes comes off as cliché as the Margarita selection.
Why is that such a norm?
Before we even placed a tortilla on the comal, we made sure that we were confident of who we were, who we wanted to be (as a company), and the type of team we were going to assemble.
We went far outside the norms and moved as far as we could from the clichés.
It started with the way we approached food, but then it quickly moved in to personnel.
When it came to food, we knew what we were going to make and how we were going to set ourselves apart from other establishments (Mexican or other), but there was still so much more beyond that.
How do we make IT better?
That become our approach to everything.
And as we evolved with this way of thinking, we became better leaders.
Better Mentors. Better Managers. Better Teammates.
Better Individuals.
We built teams of people who are not just passionate about this food and this culture, but about the importance of creating a better restaurant environment.
It wasn't just about being creative and progressive with our offerings but also progressive in the culture of our kitchen.
The 20 rules of our establishment quickly became 35, 40, 50. It is not just a code of conduct but a reminder to each other of how important the success and happiness of 1 is to the many.
This way of thinking is truly what set us apart.
This is how we look out for each other.
Make it better.
Not just the food, but the culture.
Con Todo, Menos Con Miedo.
(with everything, except fear)
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