La Boca Loca is a taqueria (Mexican restaurant specialising in tacos and burritos) located in one of Wellington’s coolest little suburbs, Miramar.

Using fresh, responsibly produced, sustainable cuisine, our seasonally-changing menu presents delicious updates to classic dishes, served in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

We are on the hunt for a talented Bar Manager who shares our values and passion for fresh and vibrant Mexican food, and wants to bring creativity to the margarita game while letting your personality and work ethic shine like a Golden Gato.

Key Responsibilities (essential):     

• Responsible for the smooth and efficient running of the bar
• Monitor stock levels and order bar stock as needed
• Ensure that bar is cleaned down properly at the end of each night – including ensuring all bar staff are well trained in the clean down in your absence
• Train new bar staff including knowledge about all stock, and recipes
• Ensure all staff adhere to the conditions of the liquor licence, and to liquor licensing laws
• Responsible to carry out bar stock take on the 1st of each month and provide report to FoH Manager
• Ensure that any incidents, performance issues of bar staff are reported to FoH Manager
• Create new drinks, and ensure that all drinks recipes are current and easily accessible in the bar.
• Ensure wastage is kept to an absolute minimum

Sales and marketing:

• Create drinks specials and, liaising with FoH Manager, help design events that help increase sales of tequila and specialist drinks
• Proactively continue to develop knowledge and skills needed to effectively develop and sell specials
• Under coordination of FoH Manager, contribute to staff in-house training and coaching to ensure FoH team know the LBL drinks (especially specials) and how to sell them

Key knowledge or understanding

• Holds current Duty Manager certificate
• Has understanding of conditions of LBL Liquor Licence and relevant liquor licensing laws

• Knowledgeable about all stock (including wines and tequilas)
• Continuously seeking to develop knowledgeable about tequilas, Mexican beers, agua frescas generally

Essential Competencies

Communicating & Listening Skills
Team Player/ Cooperation
Customer Service Focus
Quality Focus
Reliability

If you think you have the right knowledge, passion for food, good drinks, sustainable practices and would like the opportunity to make a name and grow with this pioneering company please send your CV and cover letter to Alex on alex@labocaloca.co.nz.

Come and be part of this family working to set the standards of exciting, ethical and sustainable operations in the food industry.

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

La Boca Loca is a taqueria (Mexican restaurant specialising in tacos and burritos) located in one of Wellington’s coolest little suburbs, Miramar.

Using fresh, responsibly produced, sustainable cuisine, our seasonally-changing menu presents delicious updates to classic dishes, served in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

We are on the hunt for a talented Head Chef who shares our values and passion for fresh and vibrant Mexican food, and wants to bring creativity to the taco game while letting your personality and work ethic shine like a Golden Gato.

La Boca Loca is after a strong leader capable of carrying out the following duties:

• Responsible for ensuring that all food served to customers consistently meets company standards for quality, taste and presentation.
  
  
• Develop La Boca Loca menu and recipes, that adhere to the business vision, add value to the brand and are operationally efficient.
  
  
• Responsible for overall management of kitchen operations including recruitment, ongoing training and regular staff appraisals.
  
  
• Responsible to create and drive kitchen operating systems including inventory management, staff levels, budgets and seasonal produce changes.
  
  
• Continuously monitoring supplies and suppliers to ensure best quality and value according to seasonality and adhering to the company's vision.

The right person would have a combination of the following technical knowledge and competencies:

• Confident and knowledgeable about Mexican cuisine generally and specifically all food served at La Boca Loca (essential)
  
  
• Knowledge of relevant New Zealand standards and regulations including food hygiene and kitchen safety standards (essential)
  
  
• Aware of relevant employment standards and law (essential)
  
  
• Interest in the developments of local, sustainable, ethical sourcing of ingredients and food trends (desirable)

If you think you have the right knowledge, passion for food, sustainable practices and would like the opportunity to make a name and grow with this pioneering company please send your CV and cover letter to Alex on alex@labocaloca.co.nz.

Come and be part of this family working to set the standards of exciting, ethical and sustainable operations in the food industry.

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

Serves 4 to 8

Ingredients
1.5 to 2 litres pork lard (divided use)
1 orange, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
About 2kg pork shoulder, bone in, 
2 tablespoons olive oil salt
60ml bourbon, orange juice or water

Slow-cooking pork in rich lard and spices gives the meat an incredible flavour and texture. It’s fairly easy and the rewards are great, with the meat falling off the bone. Carnitas makes a great filling for tacos, but you could also use it to fill a burrito or enchiladas.

In a large, deep pot, melt 100ml of the lard over low heat.

Add orange, onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add bay, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and pepper. Stir to combine. Add remaining lard and cook gently until melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully add pork shoulder, making sure there is enough lard to cover.

Cover with baking paper and simmer for 2½ to 3 hours or until meat is falling from bone. (Alternatively, use an oven-safe pot and transfer carefully to a preheated 150°C oven.) Allow meat to cool enough to handle, remove from pan and shred using two forks. Strain and reserve the lard for future use.

Heat olive oil in fry pan and quickly sauté shredded meat over high heat until golden brown. Remove from pan and season with salt. Deglaze fry pan with bourbon, orange juice or water. Pour resulting liquid over shredded pork.

Serve with fresh warm corn tortillas and some other additions like pico de gallo, and let guests make their own tacos.

• Do you love food, and think nourishment should be a core mission of a food business?
• Are you excited by the potential for ethical businesses to create positive social change?
• Are the sounds of a busy kitchen, full restaurant, and bustling bar music to your ears?
• Do you know how inspired leadership, in service of an empowered team, can lift everyone’s game and make the game fun to play? 
• Are you looking for a new challenge?

If it’s a ‘hell yeah!’ to all of the above, you might be the Restaurant Manager that La Boca Loca is looking for!

Who we are:

We’re Wellington’s answer to real, authentic Mexican food. Focused on sustainable, organic, ethical and truly delicious food, we source from local suppliers and are proud to be a conscious consumer business, as well as part of New Zealand’s Sustainable Business Network and a living wage employer.

With our trade and retail business growing - keep your eyes peeled this Spring! - we are looking for someone to step in to manage our flagship restaurant in Miramar. We already have a great team, a supportive local community, a loyal customer base, great suppliers, and amazing food.

Who you are:

You are a leader that is inspired and inspires.  You’ve either managed restaurants, or you’ve worked in restaurants, have led teams in other kinds of enterprises and can see how you would transfer your leadership skills to a restaurant setting.  You are eager to be a part of an ethical and wholesome brand that delivers real, delicious Mexican cuisine to New Zealand’s capital.  You can see the big picture, opportunities to promote Boca and can guide others when needed.  You believe we’re stronger together, and can both lead and model collaborative, cooperative behaviour.

As Restaurant Manager you are responsible for:

• Overall business management
• Staff management
• Facilities management
• Inventory
• Sales and Marketing
• Menus
• Management of events and private bookings
• Front of House shift management
• Reporting

See full Job Description for details.

Why work with us? Because you want to be part of a bold experiment in restoring nourishment to the heart of a food business.

There was a time - not so long ago - when food was expected to be nourishing. But today we have a global food system which is fundamentally un-nourishing on so many levels. Whether through food waste, the use of toxic chemicals in food production, battery-raised animals, unsustainable fishing techniques, dangerous conditions for the people who harvest and process our food, or low wages for the people who cook and serve it to us, the ‘normal’ way to make food has become anything but nourishing.

Happily, there are lots of people who think it can be otherwise. There’s a global movement of people who want to heal the way we make, process, sell and consume food. La Boca Loca is part of that movement.

When we opened La Boca Loca, our vision was to build a restaurant that produced delicious food, in a fun environment, in a way that would be fundamentally nourishing to our customers, our team, our suppliers, the people who grow and harvest the food, the planet, and to our local community. This kind of mission cannot be realised without a strong, motivated, empowered and inspired team, which calls for inspired, empowering leadership. Is that you?

Overview of terms:

Reports to: Director (s), La Boca Loca Ltd
Location: Miramar, Wellington
FTE: Full-time, salaried
Remuneration: $55,000-$65,000 depending on experience

How to apply:

Please send your CV and a covering letter, explaining why you think this might be the right role for you, to marianne@labocaloca.co.nz.  Applications close 16 Oct.

Join our team!  We’re taking good eating to the next level and are seeking a Marketing Coordinator to help get us there!

La Boca Loca comprises of a restaurant, trade - e-commerce & retail store partnerships and an exciting new venture launching later this year! The strategy has been set, the plans have been made, but what's missing is an enthusiastic marketing coordinator to execute it! Plus you’re free to eat your body weight in tacos #TacosPorVida

Your Profile
You live and breathe online marketing, and make it your business to stay up with the latest trends. You are eager to be a part of an ethical and wholesome brand that's expanding its offering in New Zealand, and driving the brand forward via digital channels excites you. You like to take initiative, you are independent, confident but not afraid to ask questions when needed.

Responsibilities
In a nutshell, you are responsible for the digital marketing activities and execution of the digital marketing plan.  You support La Boca Loca’s overall marketing activities and feed into the strategy. You create compelling content in line with the content plan that engages and inspires our customers, and attracts them to the website, web store and blog.  You will also manage our social communities.

Social channels & community

• Manage La Boca Loca’s social media platforms and future digital accounts
• Initiate and execute content generating activities that drive our digital strategy
• Management and procurement of giveaways/collateral/event properties including management of stock levels
• Keep up to date with paid social best practices and strategies

Paid Campaigns

• Manage daily execution of paid social campaigns across Facebook/Twitter/Google
• Constantly be testing - A/B test landing pages, ad copy testing etc.
• Report on digital campaigns in terms of spend Vs budget to ensure ROI and track the overall success of marketing programs by relevant channel KPIs

Content creation

• Create, maintain and manage content on the website and webstore that’s optimized for SEO so that we stand out (like we should)
• Liaise with staff at the restaurant and trade sales staff to procure daily content
• Create engaging copy for promotions, email, social channels

Plan

• Maintain and execute promotional and events calendar depending on product launches, seasonality and tactical needs (for example, Beervana, Go Green Expo, Valentine's Day etc.)
• Coordinate and support local events and trade shows, in-store events, workshops etc.

This is a fantastic marketing role for someone looking to develop their existing marketing knowledge and grow it further, and who likes to work autonomously.

Hours:15 hours per week.  We envisage your hours to grow as the business grows, we’re small but mighty and focused on getting real, authentic Mexican into the mouths of as many New Zealanders as possible!

Pay: $20 p/h

Location: Wellington

What you’ll need

• A passion for excellent execution and a positive, pro-active-, can-do attitude - you know how to get stuff done and don’t hesitate to jump in to make it happen
• Strong coordinating, planning and problem-solving skills; with impeccable attention to detail
• The ability to work independently, inc. ability to prioritise effectively in order to meet short-term goals without losing sight of mid and long term required achievements
• Ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with all staff - not afraid to pick up the phone!

Requirements

• Two years of prior marketing experience, preferably with a digital focus and/or a relevant degree
• Some proficiency in SEO/SEA
• Some experience in content creation and graphic design skills would be a definite plus
• Analytical and able to us data insight to help drive marketing recommendations and actions
• Experienced in coordinating and helping to drive projects to completion
• Understanding of Google Analytics highly desirable