Study: Latino Taste Impacts Foodservice Trends
05 May 2017 --- A recent study conducted by Technomic has revealed insight on Latinos’ foodservice behavior, attitudes and preferences as well as the latest trends for Latin American cuisine.
Latinos currently comprise 17% of the total US population, meaning the Latino population and its spending power is continuing to grow and impact the US foodservice industry. With their incomes rising, Latinos are visiting restaurants more often and broadening the types of restaurants they visit compared to two years ago.
“While there is now more opportunity to drive traffic and sales among Latinos, their broadening consideration set will create increased competition for their foodservice dollars,” explains Anne Mills, manager of consumer insights. “Keeping abreast of how the Latino population is evolving, and how this impacts their patronage, need states and preferences will help create menu, product and marketing strategies that effectively resonate with this young consumer base.”
Key takeaways from the report include:
- Three-fifths (62%) of Latinos expect their personal financial situation to improve in the next year, with 35% of these consumers saying it will improve slightly
- Two-fifths (41%) of Latinos and 54% of Spanish-dominant Latinos say that they are now more likely to visit restaurants that publicly support Latinos compared to in 2015
- About half (49%) of Latinos say loyalty/rewards programs encourage them to visit a specific restaurant over another, up from 42% in 2015
