While Cinco de Mayo increases in popularity among holidays in the U.S., it is not a widely celebrated holiday in Mexico. As the poster holiday for Americans celebrating Mexican heritage, it is a great time to talk about the wave of Mexican restaurants crashing upon U.S. shores in recent years.
Traditionally, American quick serve restaurants (QSR’s) such as McDonald’s have long dominated the U.S. market. And while they continue to grow at a faster rate than any other category over the last ten years, they are not alone. The fast-casual dining movement, including hot spots like Chipotle, are rapidly growing as well. As this new dining experience takes center stage, so does the emerging trend of restaurants serving Mexican and Mexican-inspired food.
According to a recent article on the Forbes website, there are seven mammoths in the QSR arena, the only restaurants in the top 50 brands pulling in over two million dollars per year. One of those seven is none other than the rapidly growing giant known as Chipotle.
While Chipotle has easily garnered the most media hype and coverage over the past few years, they are certainly not the only restaurant of their kind. Striving to serve Mexican food fast while also operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way, Chipotle is catching two trends with one burrito.
Environmental awareness and sustainability are high on the priority list for modern diners. Consumers are looking for food associated with traditional Mexican dishes as well as fresh, high quality ingredients. Other notable Mexican food chains capturing spots in QSR Magazines Top 50 are El Pollo Loco, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Taco Bell is sitting pretty inside the top 10 while Chipotle stands strong at number 15.
As these QSR’s barrel through their share of the market, there is another side to this story. As locally sourced, fresh ingredients rake in more diners traditional Mexican fare also becomes more desirable. Sure, we can all buy some packaged burritos at any market these days. But, does it taste as good or feel as satisfying as one made fresh? Many chefs say no, more patrons are demanding fresh homemade pastas at Italian restaurants and Mexican food lovers want the same. Fresh ingredients are important, but so are mom’s recipes. Traditional Mexican restaurants are also garnering customer support as the real deal is what they want, not the American interpretation.
From full service to quick service dining, Mexican inspired dishes are demanding to be noticed. What are you waiting for, the ultimate Taco Tuesday is just around the corner. So grab a burrito and thank our neighbors to the south for some great culinary ideas.