# Site audit: Mitla Cafe

- **Current live site (open this):** https://www.mitlacafesb.com/
- **Date:** 2026-08-04
- **Niche:** restaurant (historic Mexican-American)
- **Recommended package:** Rebuild
- **Demo path:** `demos/mitla-cafe/`

## Snapshot

| Check | Finding |
|-------|---------|
| Mobile-friendly | Layout adapts, but hero/slider often fails to load — first viewport feels broken |
| Clear primary CTA | Phone in top bar helps; homepage CTA is a dated cartoon “Phone in Your Order” graphic, not a modern action stack |
| Contact path obvious | Address/hours exist lower on page; form present but buried under weak social widgets |
| Speed / feel | Hero carousel shows a loading spinner; Instagram block errors (“Too Many Requests”); site feels abandoned |
| Trust (reviews, about, photos) | Strong real history (est. 1937, Route 66) but homepage underuses it; Hampton “Save a Landmark” badge is easy to miss |
| SEO basics (title, H1, local info) | Title is “Mitla Cafe”; local NAP present; thin modern SEO structure |
| Overall first impression | Dated ~2016 template; does not match a landmark San Bernardino restaurant |

## Top issues (max 5)

1. Hero/slider fails or loads slowly — first impression is a blank/loading frame
2. All-caps staple banner is hard to read and looks templated, not brand-led
3. Cartoon phone-order graphic and footer ©2016 signal an outdated site
4. Instagram widget broken; social proof area wastes space
5. Menu / catering / directions are in the nav but the homepage does not push Call, Directions, or Order with equal clarity

## Opportunities

What a better site should do for this business:

- Lead with “Est. 1937 · Route 66 · San Bernardino” so first-time visitors feel the landmark story
- Put **Call**, **Directions**, and **Order / phone in** above the fold on mobile
- Highlight banquet catering as a second revenue path
- Make hours and address unmistakable without scrolling past broken widgets
- Replace gimmick graphics with simple, confident typography and real food/place atmosphere

## Suggested scope

Map to `config/packages.md`:

- **Package:** Rebuild — $1,799 (payment plan OK)
- **Pages / features:** Home (story + CTAs), Menu (or menu PDF/link), About, Banquet Catering, Contact (map + hours + form); migrate existing content; click-to-call; Google Maps directions link
- **Out of scope for v1:** Full custom online ordering app, paid ads, photography shoot, logo redesign
- **Rough timeline:** 2–3 weeks after deposit + content/photos access
- **Update model after launch:** Hybrid care plan (default) — see `config/pricing-model.md`

## Call talking points

1. Your history since 1937 is a huge advantage — the current homepage doesn’t show it in the first few seconds; a redesign can lead with that story.
2. The hero area often sits on a loading spinner and the Instagram block errors out — that costs trust before someone even sees the menu.
3. We can keep phone-in ordering (your real workflow) but make Call / Directions / Catering obvious on a phone in under five seconds.

## Notes for demo

Brand colors / fonts / imagery cues from current site or listings:

- Logo: circular mark, building illustration, “Est. 1937”, San Bernardino
- Accents: orange highlights on nav (HOME/MENU); red phone-order graphic
- Avoid cartoon mascot in the concept; keep landmark / Route 66 / family-restaurant tone
- Phone: (909) 888-0460
- Address: 602 N. Mount Vernon Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92411
- Hours (from live site): Mon closed; Tue–Thu 9am–8pm; Fri–Sun 8am–8pm