Latinos Want Authentic Latino Restaurants

I found this to be an interesting little tid bit of cuisine/economic news, but I’m not really sure what it means other than places like Taco Bell gross out Latino consumers. A report from Technomic found that:

“Simply offering a Hispanic-inspired menu item is not enough to attract Hispanic consumers, as more than one third of the consumers in our study actually disagree that the mere presence of Hispanic menu items will encourage them to visit a restaurant,” says Technomic Director of Consumer Research Sara Monnette.

“If restaurant operators want to drive additional traffic and build brand loyalty among this rapidly growing and influential consumer group, they must understand their unique needs,” explains Monnette. “Preparing and presenting Hispanic cuisine in an authentic manner, and providing a family-friendly environment are two ways restaurant operators can build relationships with Hispanic consumers.”

So, like I said, I think what they’re really trying to say is that adding jalapeños or black beans to random food items doesn’t “fool” Latino consumers (hint: it’s because they’ve been eating real Latin cuisine their whole lives). And for restaurants that want to be economically successful, it behooves them to figure this out since Latino consumers apparently really enjoy family dining:

• 35% of Latino consumers report that they like to visit familiar restaurants and tend to patronize the same few concepts whenever they go out to eat.
• 3 out of 4 acculturated Hispanic consumers say they purchase prepared foods at grocery stores once a month or more often
• Nearly 1 of 3 say that they do so at least once a week.
• More than 2 of 5 Hispanic consumers purchase foodservice options at convenience stores on a monthly basis.

So what do you think, does this apply to you?

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD