Depot Nuevo and The Noodle Cafe: Two great eating destinations

Rob Garrison comes from a small business family and was presented with the opportunity to buy a restaurant from a friend who was in the process of selling and that's how the Noodle Cafe got it's start. The Noodle Cafe resembled a restaurant that he and his wife Ann had dined at in Evanston, IL.  Depot Nuevo was another idea that had come along from a Graduate School project when he was attending Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Evanston, IL.


Their inspiration for their menu comes form the winding down of the Glenview, IL location of The Noodle Cafe when they featured a latin inspired menu for the last three months. Their products and ingredients are sourced from some of the most elite suppliers in the state and country especially for their clientele.

The marketing campaign consists of word of mouth (which is a great way to market) and web pages for both The Noodle Cafe (http://www.thenoodlecafe.com/) and for Depot Nuevo (http://www.depotnuevo.com/) that are both very informative and also offer opt in email. They have a facebook page and also have a Twitter Account. They also do special events that are included in their Facebook and Twitter communications. They are also involved with print advertising and screen ads in the movie theaters. In the past, they have also offered half price specials.


A great fundraiser and business development idea that's been implemented is a "Celebrity Bar Tender" Evening where a celebrity comes and bar tends for the evening and half of the money that is made on drinks only is given to the charity of the evening.
The future of Depot Nuevo and The Noodle Cafe consists of quality establishments running at top and maximum functioning.

Rob and the chef are trying to do a mix of traditional Mexican menu mixed with new dishes.  Their moto is “ Let’s make things more modern and not get stuck with something old”.  The food evolves over time and they are  trying to have comfortable food.  Their goal is to be modern and not get stuck in the past.

They’re able to pull people from the surrounding suburbs and  the surrounding area that adds to their clientele list.

New concepts that MIGHT be on the horizon are foods and flavors form Louisiana or possibly South Korea.

The freshness and quality of  their food is very  high and goes beyond expectation. All of their cooking is from scratch and freshly made. They concentrate on taste, friendly service and friendliness. The goal is to serve great food by great people in an immaculate environment.

This writer sampled very tasty chips, a red salsa, a green salsa,  duck enchiladas and Mexican steak that was accompanied by mashed potatoes and great green beans that were cooked to perfection. 

Depot  Nuevo
1139 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL 60091
Tel: 847-251-3111
http://www.depotnuevo.com/

The Noodle Cafe
708 Twelfth Street
Wilmette, IL 60091
ph. 847-251-2228
fax. 847-251-2299
http://www.thenoodlecafe.com/