📊 Executive Summary
Strong Performance Continues: Cholita Linda Oakland maintained perfect 100% customer satisfaction with 31 completed ambassador conversations during November 22-28. NPS score of 58 reflects strong customer loyalty with 18 promoters, 13 passives, and zero detractors. This Thanksgiving week showed consistent quality despite the holiday period.
Ambassador Program Success: 31 of 39 initiated conversations (79% completion rate) resulted in full survey completions. Customers described experiences as "FANTASTICO," "best tacos in the country," "best tacos in the Bay Area," "10/10," "9/10," and "amazing." Multiple customers declared Cholita Linda their "favorite" and "go-to" restaurant. One customer tells "10 people a week about Cholita Linda."
Top Strengths: Fish tacos continue their dominance with 12 mentions across variations (Baja fish, pescado). Tofu tacos gaining strong traction with 5 mentions - one customer's daughter living in New York calls them "her favorite meaning the world." Margaritas praised as "the highlight" with 4 mentions. Strong multi-location loyalty - customers visit Oakland, Walnut Creek, and Alameda locations.
Operational Issues: Chair comfort remains persistent issue (FOURTH consecutive week of complaints). Temperature too cold in dining area reported. Long wait times/lines mentioned by multiple customers. Drink order forgotten - customer had to remind staff. Extended hours requested - customers want later closing time.
Key Opportunities: STRONG demand for burritos continues (4 explicit requests this week - highest yet). Menu expansion requests include: grilled fish taco, mushroom taco, birria tacos, street corn/elote, deep fried ice cream, tostones with garlic/cheese, wines/prosecco, salsa bar, and more dessert options. Request for dogs allowed back in outdoor seating. Customers want radish add-on option even with no-cilantro orders.
💬 Customer Voice - Highlights
⭐ What Customers Love
⭐ Google & Yelp Reviews
📊 Review Activity - Week of November 22-28, 2025: 2 new Google reviews posted. No new Yelp reviews this week.
📍 Google Reviews
Local Guide · 40 reviews · 10 photos | Take out | $10-20 | a day ago
"High quality. Sandwiches to go were fast during a busy lunchtime."
Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5
Recommended dishes: Cubano Sandwich, Asado Sandwich
2 reviews · 3 photos | 2 days ago
(No written review)
Google Review Summary: Both reviews positive (5-star and 4-star). Jessie Trost's detailed review highlights fast service during busy lunch, high quality food, and specifically recommends the Cubano and Asado sandwiches - aligning with Ambassador feedback praising the Cubano. Perfect 5/5 scores across food, service, and atmosphere reinforce the strong CSAT from Ambassador surveys.
🍽️ Menu Performance
- 🐟Fish Tacos/Baja Fish/Pescado - 12 mentions
- 🌮Tacos (general) - 6 mentions
- 🥬Tofu Tacos - 5 mentions
- 🍹Margaritas - 4 mentions
- 🥪Cubano - 3 mentions
- 🥪Papito - 2 mentions
- 🍖Picadillo - 2 mentions
- 🍗Pollo de Cholita - 2 mentions
- 🍩Churro - 2 mentions
- 🥤Agua Fresca - 2 mentions
- 🍗Chicharron de Pollo - 1 mention
- 🥪Chica Pica - 1 mention
- 🍟Yucca Fries - 1 mention
- 🥩Carne Asada - 1 mention
- 🐟Fish Tacos - "amazing, fresh and full of flavor"
- 🥬Tofu Tacos - daughter in NY "calls them her favorite"
- 🌮Tacos - "best tacos in the country"
- 🌮Tacos - "best tacos in the Bay Area"
- 🍹Margaritas - "definitely a highlight"
- 🥪Cubano - "Perfect flavor combination and ratios!"
- 🍖Picadillo - customer's favorite, tried for first time and "really liked it"
- 🥪Papito - multiple orders with yucca fries
- 🐟Pescado Frito - "my favorite"
- 🍗Chicken Taco - "I also tried the chicken taco and it was good!"
- 🥩Carne Asada Tacos - customer favorite
- 🍗Pollo de Cholita - customer favorite, healthier choice
- 🍗Carnitas Tacos - "I live getting carnitas tacos soooo much"
Menu Star Power: Fish tacos maintain their position as the signature item with 12 mentions across variations. Tofu tacos showing exceptional emotional connection - one customer's daughter living in New York specifically requests them as "her favorite meaning the world." This represents powerful brand loyalty spanning generations and geography.
Drinks Success: Margaritas receiving strong praise this week with 4 mentions. One customer called them "definitely a highlight" and another said they were "the best" part of the visit. Agua frescas also praised - customer loves the "1/2 strawberry and 1/2 limeade" combination.
Multi-Generational Appeal: Customers bringing grandchildren, daughters, and friends. One customer has "been going to cholita since I was a kid." Another brings their granddaughter regularly. Family dining is a core strength.
🎯 Competitive Insights
Competitive Analysis: Oakland customers consistently rate Cholita Linda superior to competitors. Against Cactus Taqueria, customers prefer Cholita Linda's tacos despite Cactus having "a more varied menu." Compared to Sol Food (San Rafael), Cholita Linda excels in "service and timing." Against Chipotle, Cholita Linda is "definitely more authentic."
Vegan/Vegetarian Market Position: Customers comparing to La Veganza and Rico Rico Vegano note Cholita Linda "compares well" with "similar high quality standards." Tofu tacos praised as excellent alternative - customers appreciate having "a veg option" even if not fully vegan.
Quality Over Quantity: When compared to Picante, customer noted Cholita Linda has "more quality fish" despite similar ordering style. Against competitors generally, one customer said "there is nothing to improve, everything is perfect."
Multi-Location Loyalty: Customers explicitly mention visiting multiple Cholita Linda locations - Oakland, Walnut Creek, Alameda, and the farmers market. One customer works nearby and said "this place is always the first choice for my coworkers and I."
Competitors Mentioned: Cactus Taqueria (2 mentions), Sol Food (3 mentions), Chipotle, La Veganza (2 mentions), Rico Rico Vegano, Flores (Emeryville), Picante, El Agavero, Barrera Tacos, Tacubaya. In nearly all comparisons, Cholita Linda either wins outright or is described as the preferred choice.
🎭 Service & Atmosphere Feedback
- "Everyone is super kind and efficient"
- "The staff are the best!"
- "Excellent food and excellent service"
- "Great food quality, good speed, nice ambiance"
- "Very good service and tasty food!"
- "cholita does so much better with service and timing than they do"
- "Service has always been great and friendly"
- "I felt very welcomed here!"
- Your STAFF - praised as favorite part of visit
- Long-time farmers market customer loyalty
- "The decor and feel is so bright and welcoming"
- "The ambience" - favorite part of visit
- "The atmosphere and the quality of the food"
- "The food and the lively atmosphere"
- "The amazing atmosphere and food"
- "The food and the ambience"
- "Hard to match the vibes and the food"
- "Love the decor and the atmosphere. Feels like I'm on vacation."
- "My friend and I had a great time"
- "This restaurant is super unique!"
🔧 Improvement Opportunities
- "Comfier chairs" - explicit improvement request
- "Chair comfort" - another explicit request
- "More comfortable seats and benches at the tables would be nice"
- This is the FOURTH consecutive week with seating comfort complaints
- Previous weeks: metal outdoor chairs "super uncomfortable," inconsistency across seating
- URGENT: Conduct chair audit and begin replacement process
- "The only thing is it was a little cold temperature wise"
- Last week: outdoor heaters not being turned on
- This week: indoor dining area temperature issue
- With winter approaching, temperature comfort is increasingly important
- Action: Ensure heaters are on, check HVAC settings for indoor comfort
- "Sometimes there is quite a line to order"
- "The only thing was that the waiting was a little long, but no bad at all"
- Customers accepting wait times but noting them as improvement opportunity
- Consider: online ordering promotion, expedited service during peak times
- "maybe the service could be a little better, i had a drink that i had to ask remind to be made but overall it was very good"
- Customer had to follow up on forgotten drink order
- Train staff to confirm drink orders are in queue and track fulfillment
- Consider drink order confirmation system
- "I can't think of anything it's perfect! the only thing I would change is the timing and would want it to be open later"
- Customer loves everything but wants later hours
- Long-time customer who has "been going to cholita since I was a kid"
- Consider: trial extended hours on weekends to test demand
- "Atmosphere wise, I feel like at night time I would enjoy a more dim and ambient lighting! With candles at the table. That would make the experience sky rocket!"
- Customer specifically wants romantic evening atmosphere
- Could differentiate lunch vs dinner ambiance
- Low-cost enhancement: candles, dimmer switches for evening service
- "Real plants would be a nice addition"
- Customer already praised bright, welcoming décor
- Plants could enhance "vacation" feel customers love
- "Let dogs back in the outside"
- Customer wants pet-friendly outdoor seating restored
- May have been discontinued for health/regulatory reasons - assess feasibility
- "I am still hoping/wishing for Cholita Linda to have a popup at the Prescott Farmers Markets (West Oakland) 18th and Peralta st"
- Customer who "tells 10 people a week about Cholita Linda"
- Already successful at other farmers markets - customer mentioned buying there for years
- Opportunity to expand farmers market presence
- "The option to add radishes, even when getting no cilantro would be great!"
- Currently radishes may be bundled with cilantro garnish
- Simple POS update to allow radish-only add-on
🍴 Menu Addition Requests
- FOUR explicit requests for burritos this week - highest week yet
- "Burritos" - direct request
- "Burritos 😋" - enthusiastic request
- "It might be nice to have burritos"
- "Maybe burritos, but not that important"
- One customer goes to Picante specifically for burritos: "I usually get burritos from there"
- This represents VERY CLEAR customer demand - recommend immediate LTO test
- Could leverage existing proteins (fish, carnitas, asado, tofu, pollo) in burrito format
- "Maybe add a grilled fish taco"
- Customer from multi-generational family who visits regularly
- Would complement existing fried fish taco offering
- Appeals to health-conscious customers
- "Also another vegetarian or vegan option, like a mushroom taco"
- Would expand veg options beyond tofu
- Mushroom trending in plant-based dining
- "Maybe a taco option with the same beef that's used in the Picadillo? Like a ground beef option"
- Customer loves Picadillo plate, wants it in taco format
- Would leverage existing ingredient - minimal new prep required
- "i wish there was birria tacos"
- Birria is highly trending menu item
- Customer visits both Oakland and Walnut Creek locations
- "Street corn!" - enthusiastic request
- "Elote" - also requested separately
- Two requests for same item indicates demand
- Classic side dish that pairs with all menu items
- "a little deep fried ice cream treat would really smack"
- Customer rated experience 9/10
- Would complement churro as dessert option
- "More dessert options" - general request
- Currently churros mentioned - customers want more variety
- Opportunity to increase check size with dessert menu expansion
- "Tostones with garlic/cheese"
- Loaded tostones variation
- Would elevate existing side dish
- "Wines and prosecco"
- Customer from Flores comparison - values taste and value
- Would expand beverage program beyond beer/margaritas
- "the only thing i would love to see is some more salsa options or a salsa bar"
- Customer rated experience 9/10
- Self-serve salsa bar could enhance customization
- "Rosa Jaimaica" requested
- Traditional hibiscus agua fresca
- Would expand agua fresca rotation
- "More sandwiches?" - customer request
- Chica Pica customer wants more variety
- Sandwiches (Cubano, Papito, Chica Pica) are popular - room for expansion
🎯 Strategic Action Plan
- Issue: THREE separate complaints this week about uncomfortable seating
- Pattern: Fourth consecutive week of chair comfort complaints
- Immediate Actions:
- Conduct comprehensive chair audit this week
- Identify and tag all uncomfortable chairs
- Budget for replacement chairs or cushions
- Prioritize outdoor metal chairs (repeatedly cited)
- Consider ergonomic bench seating for tables
- This is affecting customer experience and must be addressed
- This Week: FOUR explicit burrito requests - highest volume yet
- Customer Quote: One customer specifically goes to competitor (Picante) for burritos
- Business Case:
- Clear, repeated customer demand across multiple weeks
- Leverage existing proteins - minimal new inventory
- Higher price point than tacos = increased revenue per ticket
- Prevents customer leakage to competitors
- Recommendation: Launch burrito LTO within 2-4 weeks to test
- Customer reported dining area was "a little cold temperature wise"
- Last week: outdoor heaters not being used
- Winter season requires attention to customer comfort
- Actions:
- Verify outdoor heaters are operational and being used
- Check HVAC settings for indoor dining area
- Create temperature checklist for opening staff
- Consider blankets for outdoor seating (as seen at other restaurants)
- Drink Service: Customer had to remind staff about forgotten drink order
- Wait Times: Multiple mentions of lines and wait times
- Actions:
- Implement drink order confirmation system
- Train staff to verbally confirm drink orders
- Review peak hour staffing levels
- Consider order tracker visibility for customers
- High Priority: Burritos (4 requests), Street Corn/Elote (2 requests), Grilled Fish Taco, Mushroom Taco
- Medium Priority: Birria Tacos, Deep Fried Ice Cream, Tostones with Garlic/Cheese
- Low Priority: Wines/Prosecco, More Sandwiches, Salsa Bar
- Recommendation: Quarterly LTO rotation starting with burritos and street corn
- Evening Lighting: Customer suggested dim lighting and candles for nighttime dining
- Real Plants: Customer requested adding real plants to décor
- These are low-cost enhancements that could elevate the dining experience
- Differentiate lunch (bright, energetic) vs dinner (intimate, ambient)
- Radish Add-On: Customer wants radishes available separately from cilantro
- Simple POS update to enable this customization
- Shows attention to customer preferences and dietary needs
Report Generated: November 28, 2025
Data Sources: Oakland Ambassador Program (31 completed conversations, 263 total messages) + 2 Google Reviews
Week of November 22-28, 2025 • NPS: 58 • CSAT: 100%