CHICAGO -- Retailers can learn a whole lot from tacos. Unfolding the consumer trends behind the popular tortilla-wrapped menu item could lead convenience stores to a whole new class of cuisine, according to the most recent Smucker’s Trend Briefing in collaboration with data firm Technomic. Of the Top 500 restaurant chains, 30% offer tacos, according to the report. Taco Bell was even able to rally fans to demand Unicode add a taco emoji. However, tacos are merely one example of a popular regional Hispanic snack item, a menu category that’s gaining share of stomach.
Here’s why c-stores should try to get ahead of the next breakout regional Hispanic snack ...
Regional Hispanic snacks have a reach beyond Hispanic consumers. In fact, 63% of millennials find the noshes crave-worthy, according to the Smucker’s report. Yet, some locations have a greater advantage to offering regional Hispanic snacks. Consumers in the West are more interested in the cuisine than any other geographic group. Overall, the public’s interest is piqued, with 48% of consumers wanting to see more regional Hispanic snacks on menus.
Tying the snacks to the right daypart is key to selling the menu items to less-familiar consumers. Just three in 10 consumers say they would order regional Hispanic snacks for breakfast, but interest picks up throughout the day, according to the Smucker’s report. Hispanic snacks are a popular choice for evening and late-night nibbles.
A few regional Hispanic menu items could have the momentum for cult-fan status. Menu mentions of chilaquiles are up 9.4% year over year, according to the Smucker's report. The dish, which consists of corn tortillas fried with salsa or mole, topped with cheese, onions and sour cream and eggs, is primed for a brunch-like build-your-own bar. About half of consumers are interested in Salvadoran pupusas, thick corn tortillas filled with a savory filling, and Venezuelan arepas, corn-based dough sandwiches filled with meat, veggies cheese and sauce. Both pupusas and arepas offer customers familiar ingredients in a new, and potentially exciting package.
Specificity is retailers’ friend here. Providing descriptions of the item’s origin helps play to demands of authenticity and transparency.
To deliver on authenticity, convenience stores can consider topping their new regional Hispanic snacks with a few trending ingredients. Curtido, a Salvadoran cabbage-based relish, can add a tangy crunch to fish tacos or arepas. Another pickled condiment, Pikliz is a Haitian mixture of cabbage, carrots and peppers that pairs with empanadas or fritters. With menu mentions up 15.8%, huitlacoche, or Mexican corn fungus, can add extra umami to quesadillas and other tortilla-based snacks.
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