La Mexicana's Next Chapter: Growing a Community-First Brand with Toast

From small cafe to community staple in Wilton Manors

Diva didn't set out to open a Mexican restaurant. 11 years ago, she opened La Frutera, a small cafe with a name that linked back to the fresh juices common in her native roots in Barranquilla, Colombia. La Frutera also offered small bites, like salads, wraps, and empanadas — each with her own Latin twist.

“I wanted to let the business get its own personality while tapping into the community to see what would resonate with them as well. Sometimes we have a clear plan in mind, and we want the business to be a certain way, but having flexibility is very important.” Diva also recommends, “always keep it very authentic to yourself. It needs to feel good to you.”

But the name just didn't stick. Customers in Wilton Manors struggled to memorize it or understand the meaning behind La Frutera. The turning point came from a customer request for a burrito instead of the wraps she had crafted. Diva leaned into the feedback, added Mexican items to the menu, and watched them immediately become her most popular offerings.

"Sometimes we just don't have to invent something," Diva says. "Mastering something that you already know how to do and you know is successful, that works".

Even though Mexican food is one of the most popular cuisines in America, Diva noticed that there weren’t many Mexican restaurants around her. As a result, she rebranded as La Mexicana in 2019, tapping into a clear neighborhood need for authentic Mexican flavors that cater to everyone from kids to adults. Today, Diva has built a business that thrives on flexibility and a deep connection to the community.

Outgrowing a disjointed POS system

La Mexicana continued to grow, but Diva’s original technology couldn't keep pace. It worked when the operation was smaller, but she soon found herself juggling too many third-party integrations just to keep the doors open. That led her to switch to Toast.

"As we grew, we needed a better POS system," Diva explains. "Toast has been adding all these things that my restaurant needs, and it’s definitely great to have everything in an all-in-one platform so you don’t have to juggle a bunch of different systems.”

As a busy small business owner, Diva is always searching for tools to help La Mexicana grow by reaching new customers. One Toast solution that Diva enjoys the most is Toast Advertising, which enables her to launch Google ads in minutes.

“Toast Advertising has been super helpful when it comes to advertising on Google. I can see the return all in one spot on my dashboard, and the results have been amazing. We’ve been running a Taco Tuesday campaign since last year through Toast Advertising with an ROI of 22x* on our ad spend, so it’s driven a lot of business to La Mexicana.”

Driving performance with AI through Toast IQ

“What I really like right now is Toast IQ. I think it’s been fantastic — I am in love with that tool. What used to take me maybe 2 hours** of my day takes just a few minutes by just asking Toast IQ whatever I need to know.”

Beyond becoming an early adopter of Toast IQ to save time on reporting, Diva is finding unique ways to use AI to incentivize her employees through contests. She uses Toast IQ to run sales competitions among her servers, keeping them motivated and focused on high-margin items like liquor.

"For contests, I’m always asking Toast IQ to give me the top three servers’ sales and to tell me the products they’re selling most," she says. "I take a screenshot, put it in our staff WhatsApp group, and tell them, 'Hey, look at this' to get them going. Toast IQ even asked me as a follow-up if I want to see how many checks they’re doing.”

Toast IQ even helps Diva optimize her labor costs. She often asks the AI for advice on payroll and staffing levels, using "dead time" data to decide when to cut a shift or when she needs an extra set of hands on the floor.

Building a catering & events business — and a second location

In 2024, Diva spotted another gap in the market: fresh, high-quality corporate catering. She noticed that local law firms and nonprofits were often stuck eating lukewarm lunch from big chains.

She started small, bringing menus to every local meeting she attended, and posting on social media across Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn in particular to reach professionals.

Diva’s planned second location is a major opportunity to grow her brand and continue supporting her community. It would be the same concept and carry the same soul as the current location, but would allow for higher volume and a more casual style. 

She envisions that the front will be a Mexican street-style taqueria that would serve breakfast with amazing coffee and baked goods before shifting to affordable tacos for lunch. The rest of the space would be used for the catering facility as well as an event space to double down on La Mexicana’s hosting activities.

Toast technology for a summer of soccer

World sporting events are an opportunity to bring together new and repeat guests to enjoy great food and drinks during the thrill of a big game. These events drove increased food traffic around La Mexicana, so it was important for Diva that she already had technology in place to keep everything under control.

Diva recounts, “during those high-volume busy periods, having Toast tools like Toast Go® handhelds and Kitchen Display Systems helped us stay organized and efficient, especially with order flow and kitchen communication.”

In 2026, there is more buzz than ever as the United States is set to host the most-watched soccer tournament in the world for the first time in over 30 years. Host cities throughout the U.S. should expect a massive influx of patrons as part of the estimated $30.5 billion main economic impact for the U.S. as a whole.

To capitalize on the opportunity, Diva says “we plan to create special promotions using Toast Offers, and host events to engage our guests. We look forward to leveraging tools like Toast Email Marketing to better reach our customers and drive traffic during those key moments.”

“When you show up for your community, they show up for you.”

For Diva, the goal is never just about getting business — she is passionate about being heavily involved in her community. She began with the Chambers of Commerce to start plugging into her neighborhood and also got involved with her local NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) chapter, where she finds inspiration from other businesswomen to learn from and share insights with. As a testament to her hard work, Diva was named to NAWBO’s Top 10 Woman Business Owner of the Year for 2026.

As for cultural events at La Mexicana, her favorite to host is always for Cinco de Mayo — through great drinks and food, she brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to have fun and build memories while experiencing one of the most vibrant cultural events of the year.

For those interested in getting more involved with their own communities, Diva advises: “We get so much support from our locals, so we need to give back too. As a busy owner-operator, it can be intimidating to devote time to another thing. However, when you find something you are genuinely passionate about, it will not feel like extra work — it’ll be part of your normal routine. You can start by looking around for organizations near you and just make appointments to get to know them so you can start finding what feels right for you.”