Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

La Cocina Latina ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our guests, website visitors, and community members. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable.

This policy applies to all personal information collected through our restaurant operations, website (LaCocinaLatina.online), online ordering, reservation systems, loyalty and VIP programs, text messaging (SMS/MMS), email communications, social media interactions, and any other services we provide.

By using our services, visiting our website, or providing your personal information to us, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes identified in this policy. The types of personal information we may collect include:

Information You Provide Directly:

• Your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you make a reservation, place an order, join our VIP program, submit an inquiry, or fill out any form on our website or in our restaurant.
• Payment and billing information when you make a purchase (processed securely through our third-party payment processors — we do not store full credit card numbers).
• Dietary preferences, food allergies, or special requests that you voluntarily share with us.
• Feedback, reviews, or messages you send to us through any channel.
• Information provided on employment applications.

Information Collected Automatically:

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and general geographic location (city/region level). This information is collected through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies (see Section 8 below).

Information from Third-Party Platforms:

If you interact with us through third-party services such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, online ordering platforms, or reservation platforms, we may receive limited information from those services in accordance with their privacy policies and your privacy settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate, including:

• Restaurant Operations and Service Delivery: Processing reservations, orders, and payments. Fulfilling catering requests. Managing waitlists. Communicating with you about your reservation, order, or visit (including confirmation messages, updates, and follow-ups).
• Communications (SMS, Email, and Other Channels): Sending you transactional messages such as reservation confirmations, order updates, and direct replies to your inquiries. With your express consent, sending you marketing and promotional messages about special offers, events, new menu items, and seasonal updates via SMS/MMS, email, or other channels. Responding to your questions, feedback, or requests. See Section 5 for detailed information about our text messaging program.
• VIP and Loyalty Programs: Administering your membership, tracking participation, and delivering program benefits such as exclusive offers, event invitations, and rewards.
• Business Improvement: Analyzing aggregated, non-identifying data to understand guest preferences, improve our menu and service, enhance our website, and inform business decisions.
• Legal and Safety Purposes: Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes. Protecting the rights, safety, and property of La Cocina Latina, our staff, our guests, and the public. Investigating and responding to suspected violations of our Terms of Service.

We will not use your personal information for purposes beyond those identified here without obtaining your consent, except where permitted or required by law.

4. Consent

We rely on your consent to collect, use, and disclose your personal information. Consent may be express or implied, depending on the circumstances:

• Express Consent: We obtain your express consent when you actively opt in to receive marketing communications (for example, by checking a consent checkbox on our website or texting a keyword to join our SMS program). Express consent is required for all commercial electronic messages sent under CASL and for participation in our SMS/MMS messaging program.
• Implied Consent: In some circumstances, your consent is implied by your actions. For example, when you make a reservation or place an order and provide your contact information, we may reasonably understand that you consent to receiving transactional communications related to that reservation or order. Under CASL, implied consent may exist for up to two years following a purchase or up to six months following an inquiry.
• Withdrawing Consent: You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. To withdraw consent for SMS messages, text STOP to any message you receive from us. To withdraw consent for email communications, use the unsubscribe link in any email. For all other requests, contact our Privacy Officer (see Section 14). Please note that withdrawing consent for certain types of communication may limit our ability to provide you with specific services (for example, reservation confirmations).

5. Text Messaging (SMS/MMS) Privacy

This section specifically addresses how we handle your personal information in connection with our text messaging program, in compliance with CASL and carrier requirements.

• Data Collected for SMS: When you opt in to receive text messages, we collect your mobile phone number and your consent preferences (marketing, non-marketing, or both).
• How SMS Data Is Used: Your phone number is used exclusively to deliver the types of messages you have consented to receive, which may include reservation reminders, order updates, promotional offers, event invitations, and responses to your inquiries.
• No Third-Party Sharing of Mobile Data: Your mobile phone number and opt-in consent data will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. We may share your information with service providers who assist us in delivering messages (such as our CRM and messaging platform providers), but only as necessary to operate our messaging program and subject to confidentiality obligations.
• Opt-Out: You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL, or UNSUBSCRIBE. We honour all opt-out requests promptly.
• Data Retention for SMS: We retain your phone number and consent records for as long as you are an active subscriber. If you opt out, we retain a record of your opt-out request to ensure we do not message you again, but we remove your number from all active messaging lists.

For full details on our SMS program, including message frequency, carrier disclaimers, and support options, please see our Terms of Service.

6. VIP Program and Promotional Communications

Members of our VIP program receive communications (such as emails or text messages) about special offers, updates, events, and news. By joining the VIP program, you consent to receiving these communications.

Please note that our VIP program and its benefits are subject to change. Offers, rewards, and program features may be updated at least once per quarter. Receiving a particular offer does not guarantee it will remain available indefinitely — some offers may have time limits or limited availability. We will always do our best to communicate changes in advance and to accommodate our VIP members wherever possible.

You may opt out of VIP communications at any time using the methods described in Section 4 above. Opting out of marketing communications does not cancel your VIP membership, but it may limit our ability to deliver certain program benefits to you.

7. Refunds and Guest Experience

Refunds are at the discretion of La Cocina Latina management. We ask that guests notify us of any concerns with their order or experience before leaving the restaurant, so that we have the opportunity to address the issue in person.

We understand that not every situation can be resolved immediately. We ask for your patience and grace so that we may speak with you, consult with our team, gather the relevant facts, and determine the best way to improve your experience. Our goal is always to make things right.

If a refund or credit is issued, the personal information associated with that transaction (name, contact details, transaction record) will be retained in accordance with our standard data retention practices for accounting and legal purposes.

8. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and to help us understand how visitors use our site.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies are necessary for the website to function properly (for example, maintaining your session while placing an online order or completing a reservation form). These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics Cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting aggregated, non-identifying data such as pages visited, time on site, and traffic sources. We may use services such as Google Analytics for this purpose.
• Marketing Cookies may be used to deliver relevant advertisements to you on third-party platforms and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. These are only placed with your consent.

Managing Cookies: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can choose to block or delete cookies, though doing so may affect the functionality of our website.

9. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may disclose your personal information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including our CRM and messaging platform provider, payment processors, online ordering platforms, reservation systems, website hosting and analytics providers, and email marketing services. These providers are authorized to use your information only as necessary to deliver services on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the safety, rights, or property of La Cocina Latina, our guests, our employees, or the public.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our business, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. You would be notified of any such change and your rights under this policy would continue to apply.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information for purposes not described in this policy if we obtain your consent to do so.

10. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, or destruction. Our safeguards include:

• Physical safeguards such as restricted access to areas where personal information is stored.
• Technological safeguards such as encryption, password protection, firewalls, and secure data transmission for online transactions.
• Administrative safeguards such as staff training on privacy obligations, confidentiality agreements, and internal access controls that limit who can view personal information based on job function.

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. For example:

• Transaction records are retained for the period required by Canadian tax and accounting regulations.
• Reservation and order data is retained for a reasonable period to support our business operations and to honour warranty or dispute resolution obligations.
• Marketing consent records are retained for as long as you are an active subscriber, plus a reasonable period thereafter to demonstrate compliance with CASL.
• SMS opt-out records are retained indefinitely to ensure we honour your unsubscribe request.

When personal information is no longer needed, we dispose of it securely — either by destroying it, erasing it, or rendering it non-identifiable.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Under Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as otherwise required by law) and provide you with the information in a format that is understandable.
• Right to Correction: If you believe the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we correct it. If we disagree with your request, we will note your disagreement on file.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. We will inform you of the consequences of withdrawal (for example, if withdrawing consent for communication means we can no longer send you reservation confirmations).
• Right to Complain: If you believe your personal information has been collected, used, or disclosed in violation of PIPA, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) at oipc.ab.ca.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the information in Section 14 below.

13. Privacy Breach Protocol

In the event of a breach of security safeguards involving your personal information that creates a real risk of significant harm, we will:

• Notify the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) without unreasonable delay.
• Notify you directly, providing a description of the breach, the type of personal information involved, and steps you can take to reduce the risk of harm.
• Take immediate steps to contain and investigate the breach and to prevent future occurrences.

We maintain a record of all privacy breaches, including those that do not meet the threshold for notification, as required by PIPA.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have a concern about how your personal information is handled, please contact:

You may also text or call our main restaurant number for general inquiries.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta:

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or technology. The most current version will always be available at LaCocinaLatina.online/privacy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If we make material changes that affect how we handle your personal information, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on our website or, where appropriate, by contacting you directly.