Ethnic Cuisines Grow in Noncommercial Foodservice

Ethnic menu items continue to gain popularity among noncommercial foodservice operators, according to FoodService Director’s 2008 Menu Development Survey.

Ethnic menu items continue to gain popularity among noncommercial foodservice operators, according to FoodService Director’s 2008 Menu Development Survey.

Overall, 47% of operators say they are offering Mediterranean items on their menus, up from 38% last year. In addition, 29% of operators are offering Thai foods this year, up from 21%. Other popular ethnic foods, outside of the established cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and Chinese, are Caribbean (27% of operators), Middle Eastern and Nuevo Latino (25%) and Cuban and Indian (23%).

B&I and college operators are, on average, the most adventurous when it comes to embracing ethnic cuisines vs. long-term care and K-12 school foodservices typically preferring longstanding favorites.

Thai food is definitely “hot,” with 21% of operators overall labeling it the hottest ethnic cuisine. Every market sector listed Thai as number one except B&I, where operators saw Indian as the hottest ethnic, with 27% calling it number one.

Reprinted with permission of Ideal Media, LLC.