Dos Toros founders and brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer wanted to bring the tastes of northern California to New York City when they opened the concept in 2009. And customers responded; the brand has opened 13 locations in New York, with a Chicago location coming soon.
“For the first five years, we opened roughly one store per year, and then we upped the pace and opened seven locations in 2015 and 2016,” Leo Kremer says. “We’re planning to continue this trajectory over the next few years as we enter Chicago and other urban markets. Our primary concern with growth is that we protect our culture and our ability to execute our operations, to ensure that we only get better as we grow.”
Kremer says there are 1,000 tiny details that add up to a differentiated experience in every bite of Dos Toros, and the brand has always been conscious of having a limited menu and staying “laser-focused” on what it does. (When deciding to offer lettuce to create salads at the restaurants, the brothers debated the decision for two years.)
This has also made the brand’s crewmembers and leadership team critical to Dos Toros’ success. “You may have the demand to grow, and the financial support to back it, but without the people to execute it, your brand will falter,” he says. “We’ve been fortunate to find driven people at every level, from our certified crewmembers to our GMs and our leadership at HQ. Everyone has to be working toward the same goal.”
He adds that the biggest test will be supporting the organization and culture as it moves into Chicago and other U.S. cities.
