Maureen Wallenfang
Appleton Post-Crescent
Published 7:31 AM EST Jan 14, 2020
Rico’s Family Restaurant in Kaukauna is changing formats.
It will serve its regular breakfast/lunch schedule through Saturday at 215 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Then, starting next week, it will reopen as Rico’s Mexican Fusion under the same owner, Efrain “Rico” Carrasco.
Rico’s Family Restaurants in Appleton, Freedom and Combined Locks are unaffected and will keep their normal hours and family diner menus.
Changes are being implemented to combat staffing shortages and lackluster business in the one-year-old Kaukauna location.
Carrasco said staffing has been an issue, especially at breakfast, and the restaurant’s numbers aren’t where they need to be.
“To get good help is crazy, crazy hard,” he said. “Doing these changes will help.”
Staffing shortages have been well documented in the Fox Cities. Unemployment is hovering around 3 percent.
Hours for the new Rico’s Mexican Fusion are being determined, but will mostly be lunch through dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday hours will be shortened.
He said it will be easier to staff a restaurant that opens at 11 a.m. than one that opens at 5:30 a.m..
“I don’t want to be negative about it. I love Kaukauna and want to stay,” he said.
The new menu will be primarily Mexican food combined with Latin American, Caribbean and American dishes. He said they’re working on a new website and Facebook page.
Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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