Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Data sources
- Mintel Menu Insights
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Overview
- Population trends favor ethnic restaurants
- Chipotle’s success is bringing others to the ethnic category
- Ethnic restaurants are more expensive than American-menu concepts…
- …however, quality is more important to diners than is price
- “Authenticity” is important but difficult to define
- The lure of the “new,” the comfort of the familiar
- The price of greater authenticity is deeper unfamiliarity
- Word-of-mouth is how diners most often hear about new ethnic cuisines
- Foreign travel introduces consumers to new cuisines
Insights and Opportunities
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- The window of opportunity is open
- Awareness has never been higher
- Mainstream restaurants are rapidly incorporating ethnic fare
- Ethnic chains need to earn authenticity
- More ethnic restaurants should explore joining the food truck craze
- Ethnic concepts do a poor job of explaining/selling their authenticity
- Ethnic restaurants need to balance menu pricing
- Ethnic concepts need to get ahead of healthy foods trends
- Social media and digital media are ideal marketing channels
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Fauxthenticity
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- Figure 1: Determining authenticity, December 2011
- Trend: A Simple Balance for Health
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Slow economic recovery poses a serious challenge
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- Figure 2: Real disposable personal income, January 2007-December 2011
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- Figure 3: Unemployment and underemployment rates, January 2007-January 2012
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- Figure 4: Consumer Sentiment Index, March 2007-February 2012
- The restaurant industry turns a corner toward growth
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- Figure 5: NRA performance indices, January 2009-January 2012
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- Figure 6: Adjusted foodservice and drinking place sales, January 2008-January 2012
- Population trends work in ethnic restaurants’ favor
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- Figure 7: Projection of U.S. Population by Race, 2010 to 2050
- Travel to and from the U.S. is increasing
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- Figure 8: International travel arrivals to the U.S.
Ethnic Restaurant Brand Analysis
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- Key points
- Italian
- Olive Garden
- Maggiano’s Little Italy
- Fazoli’s
- Piada Italian Street Food
- Asian
- P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
- Pei Wei Asian Diner
- Lee’s Sandwiches
- ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen
- Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go
- Little Sheep
- Mexican
- Taco Bell
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Chevys Fresh Mex
- Lime Fresh Mexican Grill
- The Rest of the World
- Bombay Bowl
- Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill
- Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill
- The Kati Roll Company
- Multiethnic
- True Food Kitchen
- Noodles & Company
- Coming to America
- Bibigo
- Jollibee
Marketing Strategies
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- Overview
- Television
- Competition from non-ethnic concepts
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- Figure 9: Applebee’s TV Commercial
- Taco Bell asserts its authenticity
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- Figure 10: Taco Bell TV Commercial
- Olive Garden: When you’re here, you’re in Tuscany
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- Figure 11: Olive Garden TV Commercial
- P.F. Chang’s celebrates the unusual
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- Figure 12: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro TV Commercial
- On the Border: All the right moves
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- Figure 13: On the Border TV Commercial
- Digital and social media
- P.F. Chang’s new word-of-mouth marketing
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- Figure 14: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Promotion
- ShopHouse and Panda Express put Facebook to work
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- Figure 15: ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen Facebook page
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- Figure 16: Panda Express Facebook page offer
- Use the “blogosphere”
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- Figure 17: Big Bowl blog
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- Figure 18: Pasta Pomodoro blog
- Pei Wei’s way
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- Figure 19: Pei Wei Asian Diner YouTube channel
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- Figure 20: Pei Wei website and Facebook pages
- Welcome to Moe’s digital marketing
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- Figure 21: Moe’s Southwest Grill website
- Chipotle uses digital media with integrity
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- Figure 22: Chipotle’s YouTube channel page
- Wow Bao explores the next word-of-mouth extension
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- Figure 23: Wow Bao’s Pinterest page
- Chutney’s takes word-of-mouth digital
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- Figure 24: Chutney’s “Tell a friend” website app
Menu Insights Analysis: Top Menu Items
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- Key points
- Ethnic hybrids also continue to emerge
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- Figure 25: Top 10 cuisine types on restaurant menus, by incidence, Q4 2008-Q4 2011
- Ethnic foods cost more than traditional American fare
- The challenge for ethnic restaurants: Increase consumer appeal despite higher menu prices
- Pricing patterns among ethnic cuisine
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- Figure 26: Top 10 cuisine types on restaurant menus, by incidence and price, Q4 2008-Q4 2011
Menu Insights Analysis: Top Flavors and Geographic Claims
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- Key points
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- Figure 27: Top 10 flavors on restaurant menus, by incidence, Q4 2008-Q4 2011
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- Figure 28: Top 10 ingredient geographic claims, by incidence, Q4 2008-Q4 2011
Restaurant Usage
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- Key points
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- Figure 29: Restaurant usage frequency, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 30: Restaurant usage frequency, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 31: Restaurant usage frequency, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 32: Restaurant usage frequency, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
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- Figure 33: Restaurant usage incidence, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 34: Restaurant usage incidence, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 35: Restaurant usage incidence, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 36: Restaurant usage incidence, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Ordering Ethnic Cuisine Items
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- Key points
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- Figure 37: Ethnic cuisines purchased, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 38: Ethnic cuisines purchased, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 39: Ethnic cuisines purchased, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 40: Ethnic cuisines purchased, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Consumer Attitudes toward Ethnic Cuisine
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- Key points
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward ethnic restaurants, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 42: Attitudes toward ethnic restaurants, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 43: Attitudes toward ethnic restaurants, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 44: Attitudes toward ethnic restaurants, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Attributes of Ethnic Restaurants
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- Key points
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- Figure 45: Ethnic restaurant attributes, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 46: Ethnic restaurant attributes, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 47: Ethnic restaurant attributes, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 48: Ethnic restaurant attributes, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Authenticity in Ethnic Cuisine
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- Key points
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- Figure 49: Determining authenticity, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 50: Determining authenticity, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 51: Determining authenticity, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Improvement for Restaurants
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- Key points
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- Figure 52: Improvement for ethnic restaurants, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 53: Improvement for ethnic restaurants, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 54: Improvement for ethnic restaurants, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 55: Improvement for ethnic restaurants, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Learning about Ethnic Cuisines
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- Key points
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- Figure 56: Learning about new ethnic cuisines, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 57: Learning about new ethnic cuisines, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 58: Learning about new ethnic cuisines, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 59: Learning about new ethnic cuisines, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
World Travel and Ethnic Cuisine Interest
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- Key points
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- Figure 60: Travel to foreign countries, by gender, December 2011
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- Figure 61: Travel to foreign countries, by age, December 2011
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- Figure 62: Travel to foreign countries, by household income, December 2011
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- Figure 63: Travel to foreign countries, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2011
Custom Groups: Light, Medium, Heavy
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- Key points
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- Figure 64: Restaurant usage incidence, by frequency groups, December 2011
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- Figure 65: Ethnic cuisines purchased, by frequency groups, December 2011
- Figure 66: Ethnic restaurant attributes, by frequency group, December 2011
Appendix: Trade Associations
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