Before burritos became as commonplace on menus as sandwiches, Chi-Chi’s was selling the Mexican staple as something called a burro, a novelty to the consumer mainstream those many decades ago. The option shared space on the bill of fare with a chili pie, an item that’s hardly a must-have today for Mexican chains. If a Chi-Chi’s customer wanted something more familiar nearly 50 years ago, they could always go for the french fries, maybe washing them down with a margarita, available at the time in a lunchtime-sized serving. Those menu listings seem like an anachronism today, when many consumers can cite the differences between Sonoran and Oaxacan cuisine. The public’s knowledge of Mexican fare, and its appreciation of quality executions, have come a long way since Chi-Chi’s introduced many Americans to South of the Border fare in the 1980s and ‘90s.
This week’s episode of Restaurant Rewind looks at how far consumers’ familiarity with Mexican food has come and why that education poses a challenge for Chi-Chi’s in its attempt at a rebirth. Can it catch up with popular tastes and find favor with fans of Chipotle or Taco Bell?
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