SAN ANTONIO – The chief operating officer of Pollo Tropical admitted that by Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, he was worried that he would reporting for wait duty at Taco Cabana in San Antonio soon -- and he was right.
Wednesday, the marketing department of the San Antonio-based Taco Cabana, a sister company of Pollo Tropical in Miami, styled the "hair challenged" boss with a silver and black wig, Spurs championship jersey, assorted Spurs jewelry, and even a silver and black cheerleader pom pom so that every customer he served at their DeZavala location would see his newfound devotion.
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Danny Meisenheimer, the Pollo Tropical COO who is originally from Texas, is a diehard Heat fan, but was good-natured enough to play along with the wager he made with his counterpart at Taco Cabana.
"I will be able to cheer on my Spurs, who I almost like today. OK, I love them today. I'm here to pay off a bet, we're having fun. Congratulations to the Spurs for 5 Championships. That's awesome, " said Meisenheimer.
He served every customer personally in the dining room, cleaned tables, took out the trash, and even cleaned floors when pranksters threw tortilla chips on the floor to clean up. It was expected, especially after last year's similar wager ended with a Miami win.
Taco Cabana COO Todd Coerver is still stinging a bit from making good on his deal to do the same at Pollo Tropical.
Coerver recalled, "I had to work in a busy Pollo Tropical restaurant in Miami dressed in full Heat gear, so this is my personal redemption as well as a redemption for the Spurs."
Some of his customers came in specifically at lunchtime to see the payback. The DeHoyas family was one of them.
Delma De Hoyas said, "He's welcome to come back next year when this happens again. "
There is a bit of corporate strategy involved in the wager. The two restaurant chains are sister companies, and Pollo Tropical is moving into the San Antonio market in August. Meantime, Taco Cabana used Wednesday's payback to donate $1,000 to the Spurs Silver and Black Give Back Foundation.