As Texarkana grows, more and more services are being introduced that could previously be found only in larger cities. One such service is the new business of Texarkana Takeout.
Texarkana Takeout is a project a long time coming for owners Sergio Sencion and Cyenthia Page. Page first got the idea from a friend who was setting up a Restaurant Delivery Service after using one in Oklahoma.
“The idea has been brewing for about two years and I started to get more serious about the idea eight months ago,” Page said. “It wasn’t until May 2010 that I finally told Sergio, ‘Let’s do this.’ We started almost immediately, pulling out my notes and research and sketching out the beginning of the business.”
Though still growing steadily, the one thing Texarkana already offers are restaurants; however, before now, the only real delivery option was pizza. Page and Sencion saw opening a restaurant delivery service as a smart business decision as well as an opportunity to provide service that would be beneficial to Texarkana.
“We are not inventing the wheel. There are many locally-owned restaurant delivery services all over the country,” Page said. “Texarkana allows for great growth in all aspects… the high demand of food and services in this area, and the overall attractive market for this type of business.”
Sergio has been the face of Texarkana Takeout. He has done an interview with Jan Morgan on Channel 10’s Hometown Magazine and an interview with TISD Assistant Superintendent of Student & Community Development, Jo Ann Rice, on Out and About. For right now most of the business’s marketing is done through Facebook and flyers but they are working on new marketing and promotions.
“We do our own graphic design, on all flyers and business paperwork,” Page said. “We have a few promotions that we are working on now, offering discounts on orders. We have a coupon code in Menu Quarterly and we have just debuted a Loyalty Rewards program online that will let customers earn points for every dollar spent to cash in for gift certificates.”
Delivery typically takes an hour or less and there are minimum requirements for orders. The additional cost for delivery within a five-mile radius starts at $5.99.
“All restaurants have the same requirements–$15 for lunch and $10 for dinner,” Page said. “Customers are encouraged to tip the driver–the mobile waiter, like they would any other driver, waiter or service provider.”
Ordering is available online at texarkanartakeout.com. Business hours are from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Right now deliveries are available from 15 restaurants and Page and Sencion plan to add more in the future.
“Our goal is to grow to become one of the first things that crosses your mind when you are hungry, but don’t want to leave the house or office,” Page said. “We will achieve this by adding more restaurants, having variety, and gaining the loyalty of customers through our outstanding customer service and professionalism.”
