Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Mehta.
Hi Morgan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
We do not come from a culinary background. I was a manicurist for 20 years and my husband was in Information Technology.
We relocated to SE Asia in 2014 when my husband was offered a senior management position. While living there, I developed a passion for tasty & healthy food offered there (Asian, Mexican, Italian, American, etc.) I knew then that San Antonio was ready to embrace a globally inspired menu that focused on healthy ingredients without sacrificing flavor.
In 2016, I convinced my husband to leave his corporate position and return to San Antonio (I was also homesick). In June of 2016, we opened our restaurant, Thyme for Lunch. We started as a lunch-only restaurant and then decided to expand our offering with a breakfast menu.
I was adamant that we would make everything in the restaurant so we could avoid the use of preservatives and help guide customers on what items would address any restrictions they might have (gluten-free, vegan, keto friendly, etc.). Over the course of 5+ years, we have evolved constantly and offer a plant-based vegan menu in addition to non-vegan selections.
Our philosophy is quite simple – We want to offer a place where everyone can find something to enjoy and if we wouldn’t eat something, we would not offer it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Hardly! Originally we thought we would hire staff and they would execute my vision. After a while, I realized I better know how the kitchen ran and how to do every station and that has paid off.
Being a scratch kitchen has made it hard for us to find staff that is passionate about food the way we are since there is a lot of effort involved. It’s not opening a bag of soup and reheating. Our costs are also higher because of this.
Being an independent small business has made it hard to build a brand but we have been recognized by Yelp numerous times and are also recognized by the City of San Antonio as a Por Vida partner offering a healthy menu in a city that desperately needs better food choices.
Covid was tough but we survived (we got help from the city and the federal government). Right now, we are struggling with the supply chain and increased labor costs.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I feel we specialize in healthy food. We have some very creative offerings on our menu. We love when a large group of people comes to our restaurant and they tell us everyone at the party was able to find something they loved.
When vegans want to come to eat at our restaurant and they can bring their family or friends who aren’t vegan to eat. It makes me feel I have created a place of inclusion. It’s gratifying when you have the customer who starts coming eating only what they know but you develop a “trust” and they go outside of their comfort zone. Days like this make it worth it.
Honestly, I believe what sets us apart from a lot of restaurants is the service. It starts with my husband who talks to every customer and shares his favorites, to our staff who offer up what they love. My staff can greet people by name. My husband knows almost everyone who eats a couple of times. We love people and sharing our food and space is truly an extension of our home.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid-19 taught us we can do more with less. Covid taught me I can kill myself by stressing over every detail of my business, worrying about every review or unhappy customer but at the end of the day it’s all out of my control. A global pandemic shut my business down. I can only control certain aspects of this business.
It’s not a fun time having a business. I have learned not to sweat the small stuff. We and our staff do our best daily and that is all we can do.
Contact Info:
- Email: thymeforlunchsa@gmail.com
- Website: www.thymeforlunchsa.com
- Instagram: @thymeforlunchsa
- Facebook: Thyme for Lunch
- Yelp: Thyme For Lunch
