The Popularity of Mediterranean Cuisine

[Greg Krikorian]

When you investigate going into any business, you certainly need to study the market to determine if you’ll have enough customer demand to keep your operation going…and growing. When you research the restaurant industry, you’ll certainly find plenty of information about its challenges, but the news is quite positive with respect to the future for “non-traditional” ethnic cuisines.

According to the National Restaurant Association, Mediterranean cuisine is among those that are making great strides in recognition among American palates. Steve C. Anderson, its president and CEO, said, “Cuisines such as Latin American, Korean and Mediterranean are becoming more recognized by consumers, and this trend toward Americans experimenting with cuisines that are foreign to them is likely to continue.”

That statement is reflected in the results of an October 2007 survey of 1,282 members of the American Culinary Federation. Mediterranean cuisine was named by 58% of chefs as a “hot” cuisine and by 28% are a perennial favorite.

Our country’s growing obsession with eating healthy is one reason for the rising popularity of Mediterranean cuisine. An article in the Diet and Nutrition section of octamen.com, “Mediterranean Diet Healthier and Appetizing,” notes that, “Mediterranean foods are considered as balanced and a rich source of vitamins and minerals…(they) are surely one of the best available alternatives known to us.”

Here are a few statistics from the 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast:
• 83 percent of adults said there are more healthy options available at quick-service restaurants than there were two years ago.
• 70 percent of adults said their favorite restaurant foods provide flavor and taste sensations that can’t be easily duplicated in their home kitchens.
• 64 percent of adults said there are more restaurants they enjoy going to now than there were two years ago.

All of this bodes well for the continued popularity of healthy, delicious Mediterranean food such as the dishes offered by Best of Mediterranean.