Mexican Restaurant Adding Meals to Appeal to Non-Hispanics source: Charlotte.com posted: Feb. 4, 2008 "Pascual Gonzalez and Donnetta Hopper run different businesses on North Tryon Street but face the same challenge. To grow, they must attract people from a culture different than their own. So the Taqueria Guadalajara restaurant near Sugar Creek Road, which Gonzalez manages, will soon add meals that appeal to non-Hispanics, he said last week." read the full article here

Commentary on Mexican Restaurant Adding Meals to Appeal Cross-Culturally
by Ricardo González

I am sure many Mexican restaurants offer American food. In this sense there is no story here. The story is in the concept and the problem.

There is a huge problem that Latinos in the United States face. Many, if not most, have not learned to market to the mainstream. Many businesses are built around other Latinos to the exclusion of Anglos. Many reason that as soon as Anglos view a bunch of Latinos in their business they do not want to enter. They are, of course, correct about this in many instances.

I was raised in a Mexican food restaurant and I suppose that's why this caught my eye. My dad, who owned El Toro Restaurant in Elkhart, IN, figured this out a long time ago. He sold Delmonico Steaks, Fish Dinners, Cheeseburgers and anything else an American might want. I actually remember fewer Latinos going to his business than Americans. It was almost all Americans who came to eat Mexican food. Dad was smart enough to realize, however, that to have American food on the menu was symbolic of his assimilation to this country and culture. Americans felt comfortable there although I do think they got a kick out of the circus that was known as la familia González.

I think there is an important lesson here for Latino business owners. To be stable in the long-term Latinos need to learn to market and serve the mainstream. Many Latino businesses are suffering right now due to Latinos leaving their areas due to stricter immigrations laws in their area.

Perhaps we Latinos need to re-think our product and service mix. This, of course, would force us to rethink our marketing strategies.

My dad told me the other day about a family member in Northern Indiana with a car lot who is really struggling right now due to Latinos leaving the area. I said, "but he grew up in the States, he speaks English well, why does he have a Latino only business?" Dad replied that when the Americans started seeing all the Mexicans going there they stopped going. I said, "well, why in the world didn't he have two car lots then with two different names, one for the Anglos and another for the Latinos?"

Makes sense to me. I hope it does to you.

Adelante,


Ricardo González

P. S. - Just for being smart, Dad was able to basically retire at the age of 45. This was quite an accomplishment given the fact that when he came to the United States from Puerto Rico he had an 8th grade education, spoke no English and had no money.