Lucy’s makes menu changes, focuses on details

When Jack Warner brought Chris Brooks on as the new general manager of Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant this May, Brooks knew immediately what he had to do—consolidate the restaurant’s menu.
Brooks, who has a marketing, advertising and public relations background, says his first goal was setting the kitchen up for success.

“The kitchen has to be the heartbeat of what we do,” he says. “I worked with Jack Warner and [brought in new chef] Eusebio Gongora, and we looked at everything. If it didn’t sell, then it was taken off the menu. What did sell was improved. We also added some dishes that customers would enjoy that go with the culture here.”

The team whittled down more than 100 items to 31 with a heavy focus on quick eats such as appetizers, salads, soups, tacos and burgers. Gongora, who previously worked at Fleming’s, says he tested around 70 items before finalizing the menu. With a cleaner, more concise menu, he says the restaurant has found its focus.

“Before I came in, every category was loaded down with options,” Gongora says. “You had so many different toppings you could put on a burger or a taco. You would spend literally 20 minutes trying to figure out what you wanted to order. Now, it’s more enjoyable. You come in and feel welcome to enjoy what we’re serving. We have a nice balance, and the menu changes open up the door for a lot more growth in the future.”

Brooks says he’s also made a few cosmetic tweaks to the look and feel of the restaurant and bar. He says there was a learning curve at first with the new job, but he wasn’t intimidated by the challenges of running Lucy’s.

“It hasn’t been a complete overhaul,” he says. “We have a lot of plans here and there, but we’re more focused on the aspect of bringing in more customers and instilling better service and having attention to detail.”

For more information on Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, click here or call 361-0372.