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NEW FUZZY’S CHEF: MOVING BEYOND BAJA

Creating innovative bowls, developing premium tacos, and growing the brunch menu are on the to-do list of Josh Diekman, the new executive chef of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, the Texas-based multi-unit with 150 locations.

“Innovation is definitely a big, big part of the job, that’s the number one goal,” says Diekman, who previously held chef positions at Land O’Lakes and Nestlé, where he developed menu items for Chili’s Grill & Bar, TGI Fridays and Bar Louie.

The chef’s creativity is on display among the 26 bowl concepts he is trying out. They include an elote potato bowl, a birria bowl, a chimichurri bowl and a poblano tender bowl. The premium taco concepts also stretch beyond the chain’s specialty of Baja-inspired tacos — potentials include honey serrano chicken, chorizo poblano fundido, and shishito pepper and grilled steak. An expanded brunch menu — maybe tacos and bowls inspired by Bloody Mary flavors — also is under development.

“I love starting aspirationally on menu items and then, of course, we make sure they can be executed,” he explains. He keeps regionality in mind, too, since Fuzzy’s locations stretch from Denver to Ft. Lauderdale. “A taco idea that works in Texas might not work in Colorado and a great taco in Colorado might not work in Florida.…And then the recipe has to be written in a way that can be repeatable and executed flawlessly. It needs to be the same every time in every restaurant.”

The process for testing new menu items at a multi-unit with that many locations is extensive. Diekman explains that the ideas are first narrowed down by an internal leadership and marketing team, and then they go before a franchise committee that gives input on how the menu items would work in the restaurants themselves. Ideas that make it that far are tried out by tasting panels and customers who are members of Fuzzy’s Rewards Program. The careful testing takes time — Diekman says the current limited-time-offer taco on the menu took about nine months to reach that point — but it helps ensure success for the new menu items.

“I can come up with a wonderful idea that I love,” he says. “But if our customers don’t love it, then it’s not going on the menu.”

Survey Reveals Mexican Restaurants’ Thoughts on Third-Party Delivery

Mexican restaurant owners are divided almost evenly on their feelings about third-party delivery services, according to an October 2022 el Restaurante reader survey. Forty-three percent of respondents said they are “reasonably satisfied” with their service and 10 percent said they are “totally satisfied.” However, 23 percent are “somewhat dissatisfied” and an equal number are “very unhappy.”

Vince Deuschel, director of operations for JTP Restaurants, the parent of Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina in New York City, is among the “somewhat dissatisfied” respondents.

“Delivery platforms seem to be universally bad,” he says. “They often refer to themselves as our partners; they are anything but. The credits they issue their customers are never run past us. We have found them so focused on giving their customers what they want that restaurateurs are never consulted about the legitimacy of customer claims. We lose much revenue that way.”

The most-used delivery service among survey respondents (who could choose more than one service) is DoorDash, which carries orders for 44 percent of them. UberEats is next with 32 percent, followed by GrubHub with 26 percent.

The third-party services are not universally beloved, but delivery is an essential tool for Mexican restaurants. A question in a September survey conducted by restaurant technology provider Popmenu asked what cuisine consumers always order out rather than cook at home. The number one response? Mexican.

For more results from the el Restaurante reader survey, see our exclusive 2022 Independent Mexican Restaurant Report that starts on page 22.

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Phoenix Mexican Restaurants Star on “Taco Chronicles”

BACANORA IS AT IT AGAIN. Since debuting in Phoenix in spring 2021, the restaurant — which features Chef Rene Andrade’s Sonoran cuisine — has been a James Beard Foundation award finalist; was named one of the 50 best new restaurants in America by Bon Appétit and one of America’s 40 best new restaurants by Esquire; and garnered a five-star review in The Arizona Republic. Its grill master, Roberto Centeno, recently won an episode of the Food Network’s show “Chopped.”

The latest accolade: Baconora will be featured on an episode of the Netflix’s “Taco Chronicles’ Season 3: Cross the Border and the Valley.”

Other Phoenix restaurants that will be showcased during the documentary series’ third season include Taco Boys, Tacos Chiwas, and Fry Bread House. All Season 3 episodes will be available to stream on Netflix beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Report Predicts Growth for Hispanic Foods

The market share for Hispanic foods is expected to increase by USD $518.91 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4 percent during the 2022-2026 forecast period, according to Hispanic Foods Market Growth by Type and Geography - Forecast & Analysis, a report from Technavio.

Changing lifestyles and a rise in demand for healthy, convenient food, new product launches, and expansion in the retail landscape will offer immense growth opportunities for companies serving the market, a summary of the report notes. While the study focuses on opportunities in the retail arena, the positive outlook also is encouraging for the foodservice landscape, as it highlights how popular Hispanic food has become overall.

“The increasing popularity of Hispanic cuisine among consumers will facilitate the Hispanic food market growth in North America,” the report says. It also calls the U.S. “the key market for the Hispanic foods market in North America.”