Who Moved My Queso

Have you ever heard of a Galaso burrito? Well, if you haven’t, you’re not alone. This bizarre menu item was part of the offerings at a Mexican food restaurant in a small town in Nebraska, where I used to work in high school. 

But fast forward a few decades, and I found myself in Austin, TX where the concept of a Galaso burrito was completely unknown.

Not to long ago I went back home to visit family and I stopped by the restaurant where I used to work. 

There are now six Mexican restaurants in town, a stark contrast to the time when my old workplace was the only option. 

This shift in the food scene was a result of an influx of Mexican labor in the town, leading to families opening up authentic Mexican restaurants.

As the author reflects on this situation, he can’t help but think about it from a marketing perspective. The original restaurant, with its bizarre menu items and questionable authenticity, was able to thrive when there were very few Hispanic people in the town. 

But as the town’s demographics changed, so did the demand for authentic Mexican food.

The restaurant’s owner, now the son of the original owner, is struggling with a decrease in customers and is not sure why his business has gone down. 

It reminds me the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson which teaches that change is inevitable and that one must adapt and embrace new opportunities in order to succeed.

It’s a fun and thought-provoking read, this story highlights the lessons we can learn from adapting to change in the ever-evolving world of the restaurant business.

William S. Burroughs said, “When you stop growing you start dying.” And I think that’s a pertinent sentiment with this story. 

If the restaurateurs had not gotten lazy and had started adapting over time – creating better dishes, or even sticking with one cuisine and perfecting it, then he likely wouldn’t be struggling like he is today. 

The main takeaways from Who Moved My Cheese, that we can apply to business and marketing are:

• Change is inevitable: The cheese in the maze eventually runs out, forcing the characters to adapt to new circumstances. This teaches us that change is a natural part of life and we must learn to be flexible and adapt to new situations.
• Don’t cling to old ways: One of the mice, Sniff, is resistant to change and sticks to the old cheese station, even though the cheese is no longer there. This highlights the importance of letting go of old habits and ways of thinking in order to succeed.
• Embrace new opportunities: The other mouse, Scurry, quickly adapts to the new circumstances and finds new cheese. This teaches us to be open to new opportunities and to take advantage of them when they arise.
• Take action: The little people, Hem and Haw, struggle with change because they overthink and become paralyzed by fear. This teaches us that it is important to take action and not let fear hold us back from pursuing our goals.

I think I’ll buy a copy of the book to send to my old buddy at the restaurant and change the title with a sticker changing it to ‘Who Moved My Queso.’