CHD Expert Adds New Data Segments, Providing Foodservice Professionals With Intelligence On Restaurants That Have Just Opened And Those With Plans To Open In The Future

Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

New data segmentation now allows CHD Expert’s customers to identify restaurants that have been open for less than 30 days, and those restaurants that have yet to open their doors to guests.

CHD Expert, the Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics firm is announcing the expansion of their operator filter suite in two new and exciting areas; businesses that have just recently opened, and those who have plans to open in the near future. These two new segments will provide critical insight to companies that sell to restaurants, as they will be able to use the data to contact decision makers in the critical process of outfitting their establishments and looking to build lasting relationships with food suppliers. The two segments will be available in March 2014.

Currently, CHD Expert’s Foodservice Industry Database (FIND) offers data at an industry-leading level of accuracy on over six million global operators, providing contact information that can be segmented and filtered by various criteria. The two new segments will be joining an already robust list of available criteria that includes location, units, menu type, revenue, average check, number of employees, and many other pertinent details.

This March, CHD Expert customers in select USA markets will be able to quickly identify two types of restaurants and other foodservice kitchens not previously possible – those with recently opened doors, and those who are scheduled to open in the near future. The segments will be broken down into two specific areas: New Business and Pre-Open. These two new filter options will join all the current age-related filters, which identify restaurants that have been open for less than one year, one to two years, two to five years, and five plus years.

The New Business segment will classify operators who have opened within the past 30 days. Imagine the possibilities this information can provide to CHD Expert customers, who will now be able to identify recently opened restaurants in their selected geography. Companies who focus on selling advertising, POS systems, or other digital services will be able to use this data to target prospects that have yet to solidify these necessary relationships, or who are ready to enhance their current operations. Specialty providers can use this data to target and sell their products to restaurants that may not have an identified provider at open, or after an initial experience with one, now want to change quickly.

The Pre-Open segment will recognize operators who have plans to open in the near future. This information will be highly desirable for any foodservice distributor or manufacturer who sells to restaurants or commercial kitchens. Vendors will now be able to strategically offer their goods to restaurants that are in the process of purchasing equipment and food products to outfit their establishment.

“Foodservice distributors, equipment manufacturers, and food manufactures have been requesting pre opening data for years,” said Brad Bloom, Director of Sales at CHD Expert North America. “Being able to connect with a restaurant or foodservice establishments while they are outfitting their kitchen and looking for suppliers while menu planning is the Holy Grail for sales professionals who sell to the foodservice industry. We now have this information available for our customers, and we are excited to see how this data positively affects their sales results.”

To learn more about CHD Expert’s foodservice database, or to learn more about CHD Expert’s latest restaurant data segments, please click the button below:

Healthier, Gourmet Food Options on The Rise in US Airports

When was the last time you traveled. Did you happen to remember that the airport’s food options have been significantly upgraded to gourmet or healthier fare? Travelers will soon no longer have an excuse to eat junk food when traveling. According to a panel of doctors, at the nation’s 18 busiest airports, 76% of restaurants offer at least one healthy entree. This is up since 2001 when only 57% of airports offered travelers at least one healthy item on the menu. See how the different airports rank on health options per the chart below.

2013 Airport Food Review published by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

This news is good for the 100 millions of travelers that pass through airport terminals on a regular basis. With more and more individuals searching for healthier options, it’s only right that airport restaurants continue to offer passengers a variety of nutritious options. Let’s talk about one airport in particular that we think excels in healthy options for travelers. JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at JFK does a great job of offering a wide variety of restaurants and healthy food options. For example, they have a food court with a salad bar option in addition to several restaurants through out the terminal, one of which is sushi bar called Deep Blue Sushi which has a robust menu of fresh choices created by NYC’s Buddakan Executive Chef Michael Schulson. JetBlue continues to push the envelope on overall “terminal” experience, and providing diverse food options is one of areas in which they excel, especially when it comes to offering healthier options. JetBlue has 24 total food and beverage outlets offering travelers a variety of places to choose from.

As people continue with the New Year’s Resolutions, healthy options will continue to be an important factor in where people choose to dine in airports, especially for frequent business travelers. Airports, foodservice companies and restaurants should consider how the healthier trend can impact their business.

Do you have questions about airport locations? Or are you looking for a list of airports addresses or airport data? Send us an email with your questions and we’ll get back to you within a few hours. Email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

2014 Foodservice Industry Trends

The foodservice industry is all about trends. Trends can have a significant impact on a foodservice business. Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in the foods they eat, where they eat, and where their food comes from. True trends, as opposed to fads, shows the need in our society and how foodservice industries meet those demands.

Here are 3  foodservice industry trends you should look out for in 2014:

Restaurants In Retail  Shops

How would you like a glass of wine as you look around for a new pair of shoes? Well, the next big thing in food could be fashion. There is a growing trend of retail stores in the US developing their own themed restaurants within their store. A perfect example of this is Tommy Bahama’s New York flagship restaurant that sells rib-eyes and fish tacos. Another great example of this is David Burke’s Burke in the Box and Forty Carrots at Bloomingdales.

So what’s the value of putting a restaurant into a store?  Restaurateurs want to keep shoppers in their stores for as long as they can and giving shoppers the ability to drink and eat can increases the time they spend in the store. The more time spent in the store; the more likely a purchase will be made.

More Restaurants Using Tablets

 Restaurants are embracing technology and the use of tablets is just another example of that. Earlier this week Applebee’s announced plans to install 100,000 tablets at every table in each of its 1,860 restaurants in the United States. These tablets will allow Applebee’s customers the ability to order food, pay their bill, and play games as they wait for their food. Back in September, Chili’s announced they would also begin installing tablets on each table of its 823 restaurants by March 2014.

While this move may seem like the beginning of the end for servers, don’t be alarmed. The restaurant business is about speed and service. Restaurants make more money when their servers are quick, and they get their customers out the door happy. The devices are for interactive purposes and convenience, targeting groups and families who wouldn’t mind paying $0.99 to play games. In fact, services could expect to see an increase in tips as the system is implemented to increase the spending per table and customers will benefit from better service as servers wont have many tasks on their plate.

Goodbye Trans Fats

Say goodbye to margarine because artificial trans fat in food will soon be a thing of the past. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its preliminary determination saying trans fat is not “generally recognized as safe” for food. If this preliminary determination is finalized, hydrogenated oils (a component of margarine) will become food additives that could not be used in food without approval. Any food with unapproved additive cannot legally be sold in the U.S.

If you are looking to find accurate and up-to-date data on full service restaurants, retail stores, or information on restaurants that offer a specific cuisine, CHD Expert can help you locate those businesses and get you contact information for key decision makers. If you would like more information on how to access CHD Expert’s database, please contact Catherine Kearns via email at cathy@chd-expert.com or call (312) 768-6916.

CHD Expert Releases The Latest Restaurant Data, Focusing On Independent Restaurants in a Market Landscape Overview

CHD Expert’s Latest Restaurant Data Indicates That In The Current US Market Landscape, Independent Restaurants Out Number Chain Restaurants Two To One.

Leading foodservice data and analytics company CHD Expert, releases the latest figures around the current United States restaurant landscape and evaluates how independent restaurants stack up against the more widely recognized chain brands. All data in this report is pulled from CHD Expert’s Restaurant Database as of October 2013. Currently in the United States there are 678,691 total restaurants in operation, equating to approximately 1 restaurant for every 467 American citizens*.

While some of the most recognizable global brands are famous American chain restaurants, in the United States the total number of independent restaurants outnumbers chains almost exactly two to one. Currently there are 454,695 total independent restaurants in operation in the United States, whereas there are 224,266 chain restaurants in operation.

However in terms of annual sales, independent restaurants generally gross less than chain restaurants. 67.3 percent of independent restaurants gross less than $500,000 a year, whereas only 24.8 percent of chain restaurants aggregate less than $500,000 annually. Considering the highest grossing restaurant segment, only 1,023 independent restaurants achieve more than $5,000,000 dollars annually, whereas 1,234 chain restaurants fall into this category.

Breaking down the states and District of Colombia by their mix of independent restaurants compared to chains, the four states** with the highest percentage of independent restaurants all reside on the North East Coast. New York leads the nation with the highest percentage of independent restaurants with 82.1 percent of the state’s restaurants being independent. This is not surprising, as the five boroughs of New York City, particularly Manhattan, are largely comprised of unique restaurants. After New York is New Jersey with 78.5 percent independent restaurants, followed by Washington DC at 77.6 percent, and then Maine at 76.4 percent.

Considering states with the most independent restaurants by volume, California leads the states with 12.9% of the US Total comprising of over 58,540 total independent restaurants, bringing in almost $30 billion in sales annually to the California economy. New York is second on the list with 40,928 total independent restaurants, followed by Texas with 33,171 then Florida with 29,449. Rounding out the top ten states by independent restaurants are PA, NJ, IL, OH, NC and MA. See figure 1.

The footprint of independent restaurants in QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) and FSR (Full Service Restaurants) is significant. Independent restaurants make up over 90% of the FSR market, whereas in QSR it drops to 43%.

A majority of independent restaurants fall into the full service category. They represent almost 69% of all unique independent restaurants throughout the nation, with retail sales of over $189 billion annually, whereas limited service restaurants sales achieve $$52 billion per year.

“For foodservice professionals who sell their products to restaurants, it is critical to understand the market landscape in your territory”, stated Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “It is a misconception that foodservice manufacturers and distributors need to engage with the large chains to land big sales. Often times the low hanging fruit can be the local independents, who’s decision makers can be much easier to get a hold of and sell to. It is more difficult than ever for sales professionals to engage restaurant owners or decision makers, but with relevant restaurant data, sales professionals can spend more time developing strategies that increase sales and less time researching.”

To obtain more information about CHD Experts findings, or with general questions about foodservice data, please contact Nicolas Watson – nwatson@chd-expert.com

* Based on US Census population clock estimates October 20, 2013
** Washington DC is considered a state for this exercise

Burger King Satisfries: Are healthier options the next trend for fast food restaurants?

By Nicolas Watson

Fast food is becoming healthier – at least for one popular fast food chain. With the introduction of ¨Satisfries¨, Burger King is leading the way in what may become a new trend for healthy fast food.

¨Satisfries¨ are a low-calorie version of Burger King´s original fries and contain 40% less fast than fries from McDonald´s. Now people have the option to choose between full-fat fries and healthier ones. What impact will this have on fast food?  Are Satisfries the first of many “healthier” fast food options?

Interestingly enough, this is the first time we’ve seen a menu innovation around French Fries. Fast food chains have played around with healthier options in the past, for example grilled chicken wraps or low-calorie salads. What’s brilliant is that Burger King was able to think about a food innovation that satisfies a fried food craving. They aren’t trying to replace fries with apple slices like some other chains. They are looking to capture that satisfying fried food taste that people come to fast food restaurants for.  Such menu innovations in the fast food industry may become more common as consumers needs and consumption continue to change.

For some, this will impact where they decide to open their next location. To choose the next best real-estate location, they might want to consider working with a company like CHD Expert. Here at CHD Expert, we help businesses visualize the market landscape by providing them with information on chains headquarters, sub-franchisees, regional offices or even multi-concept operators. CHD Expert can even break down the market landscape do this down to the zip code level and provide a visual aid as to where any restaurant is located within the defined area.

For more information on food service data or chain locator tool, visit CHD Expert. Or reach out to me directly at nwatson@chd-expert.com.

CHD Expert Releases New Data About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Industry

New data available from leading foodservice database and analytics company, CHD Expert reports on the status of the restaurant and lodging industry in the nation’s fourth most populous state, Florida.

With the 2013 Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show taking place later this month in Orlando, foodservice database and analytics firm, CHD Expert reports on Florida’s current lodging and restaurant landscape.

With great weather, world-class amusement parks, natural wonders, and over 1,000 miles of coastline, Florida is a top destination for domestic and international travelers. People come to Florida looking for a nice time and according to CHD Expert’s latest data, Florida leads the country with 367 active resorts, accounting for over 20% of the Nations Resorts. By comparison, the state with the second highest number of resorts in the nation is California with 179, accounting for 10 percent of the national total.

Holding the third place, behind California and Texas, the state of Florida hosts over 6% of the hospitality and lodging market in the US. There are a total of 4,323 different lodging facilities in the state of Florida, 14 percent of which have a restaurant as part of the facility, much higher than the national average of 7.8 percent. Contrarily there are 2,632 hotels and motels in the state that do not include a restaurant, of which over 29 percent offer a complimentary breakfast to their patrons.

In terms of restaurant industry landscape, Florida has 44,811 total restaurants, which makes up 6.5 percent of the total restaurants in the United States of America. Figure 1: Florida Restaurant Breakdown by Market Segment compared to US Market

Figure 1 Florida Restaurant Breakdown by Market Segment compared to US Market

Florida is a family destination identified by its high percentage of Family Style restaurants. About 12 percent of the restaurants in the state of Florida fall into the “Family Style” segment, defined as a full service restaurant that does not serve alcohol with an average check of $6 to $12. In comparison, this is a much higher percentage than other large states like California (10 percent), New York (10 percent) and Texas (9 percent).

Florida hosts 11.4 percent of the Steak and Seafood restaurants in the United States, and Steak and Seafood restaurants make up 3.8 percent of the Florida market. Varied Menu is most common menu type in Florida, making up 20.5 percent of Florida’s menu type mix, followed by Pizzerias, which make up 10.1 percent. These menu types are similar to the US footprint in these menu type categories. Figure 2: Top 10 Menu Types in Florida Compared to US Market.

Figure 2 Top 10 Menu Types in Florida Compared to US Market

Florida also hosts a very high percentage of the US menu type totals in Latin and Caribbean menu types, although the numbers of these ethnic restaurants are not substantial compared to the more common menu types. Figure 3: Florida Top 10 Highest Percent of US Menu Types

Figure 3 Florida Top 10 Highest Percent of US Menu Types

Similar to the US Market, most Florida restaurants are independent (restaurants that have between 1-9 total units) and not part of a major chain. However in the full service restaurant segment, Florida has a slightly higher percentage of Chain Restaurants than the national average. Figure 4: Full Service Restaurants US Market Vs. Florida Market

Figure 4 Full Service Restaurants US Market Vs. Florida Market

Other fortuitous news for aspiring restaurateurs in Florida, is that 49.81 percent of restaurants in Florida have been in business for 5+ years. With the difficult times in the past for restaurants, Florida is coming back fiercely, with over 4400 new openings in the past 12 months.

When evaluating the average check cost in Florida, 23.8 percent of the time the bill ranges between $15-20. The check exceeds $50 less than one percent of the time and under $5 approximately 6 percent of the time. The majority of restaurant menu types that earn over $5 million annually are Varied, Italian and Seafood.

“Florida is a great place to visit and this is apparent when you look at how the states economy is impacted by the tourism industry,” said Nicolas Watson, Global Marketing Manager of CHD Expert. “With Florida’s popular resort culture and wide range of lodging accommodations, this state is designed to cater to the tourism industry. This makes Florida a prime target for businesses who want to sell products to the restaurant and lodging industries, and this recent data helps make the sales process more lucrative and effective.”

To access the most up to date lodging and restaurant information on Florida in its entirety, please contact Nicolas Watson: nwatson@chd-expert.com

CHD Expert Presents: The Clean Data Challenge – How Accurate is Your Organization’s CRM or Database?

CHD Expert is challenging organizations to test the accuracy of their current CRM or database. If you utilize data for sales, marketing, or business decisions, take the challenge and compare the accuracy of your data to CHD Expert’s Foodservice Industry National Database.

Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics company, CHD Expert, is rolling out the Clean Data Challenge: How Accurate, Complete, and Clean is your Organizations Database? The company is asking organizations to compare their current data to CHD FIND® (Foodservice Industry National Database), the industry’s highest standard for foodservice data.

Customers can count on CHD Expert’s database. With consolidated data from over 80 different sources, it is guaranteed the most accurate in the industry, and every record is supported with a money back guarantee. To prove this, CHD Expert is proposing that businesses take a stand against dirty data, and compare their current data records to CHD Expert’s FIND® Database. To help make this happen, CHD Expert is extending a free sample match opportunity until September 30th, 2013.

The Clean Data Challenge will provide participants with a gauge on the accuracy and completeness of their current database, as well as put them in contact with a CHD Expert data specialist to help determine the best ways the data can be used to benefit their business. This includes insight surrounding market penetration, and how many additional foodservice operators are available in the selected sample region.

To participate in the Clean Data Challenge, please identify and provide CHD Expert with 1,000-2,000 records for comparison. A CHD Expert data specialist will then walk participating organizations through a 4-step process, summarized below.

Step 1: Data Preparation: Select geography from current records that makes up approximately 1,000-2,000 records, and compile it in .xls or .csv format. Include a unique ID, business name, address, and phone#.

Step 2: Data Cleansing: CHD Expert will prepare the data as follows:

• Postal normalization
• Removal of dirty data and special characters
• Formatting of all fields
• Deduplicating repeated records

Step 3: Match and Append: CHD Expert will then match the clean data to CHD FIND’s master records, appending it with information from the CHD FIND database. This can include, data on market segment, market information, and/or contacts. Which businesses have closed will also be identified. It all adds up to a clear, defined picture of the current holes in the data.

Step 4: Delivery of Results: CHD Expert will provide participating organizations with the results from the Clean Data Challenge, and walk through the findings with selected participants. For further incentive, participating organizations will be provided with approximately 200 NEW additional sales and marketing leads in the same geography, which are currently NOT in the database.

“Rarely does a company have a database that is 50-60% accurate. Normally it is significantly worse,” states Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “What I find most interesting is people’s reaction when the challenge shows them how incomplete and/or inaccurate their data truly is. Some people are shocked, and some are not surprised at all. Regardless of their initial reaction, they are glad they participated in the challenge, and come away with a lot of insight. If your organization has data, put it up to the challenge. You will be surprised to see how it compares to the industry’s best.”

No business is too big or small to participate in CHD Expert’s Clean Data Challenge. If your organization is interested in participating, please register on CHD Expert’s Data Challenge Page and a CHD Expert representative will be in contact.

CHD Expert Identifies K-12 Schools That Participate in Free and Reduced Lunch Programs

CHD Expert identifies K-12 Schools that participate in free and reduced lunch meal programs, highlighting big opportunities for foodservice professionals in education.

Leading food service data and analytics companyCHD Expert, releases new data identifying the different schools that participate in government funded National School Lunch Programs.

June 21st marked the first day of summer, and while many children look forward to their summer break, being out of school poses a challenge for millions of children who live in food insecure households.

In 1946 President Truman introduced a federal assisted meal program to provide nutritionally balanced lunches at a free or reduced cost to children while in school. Currently this program is overseen by the US Department of Agriculture and there are more than 31 million children who receive free or reduced school lunches each day (Source:Food and Nutrition Service).

With the School Nutrition Association’s 2013 Annual National Conference taking place in Kansas City later this month, CHD Expert provides the latest numbers on Free and Reduced Lunch Meal counts for the entire United States.

According to CHD Expert’s FIND database, there are 63,406 K -12 Schools that offer Free and Reduced Lunch Meals in the United States. In addition, CHD Expert also reports that there are 4,367 school districts in the United States with more than 500 students on free and reduced lunch meals. In total, CHD Expert’s Education Database contains 123,140 K-12 Schools and 13,405 School Districts across the nation. This does not include CHD Expert’s Database for Colleges and Universities.

CHD Expert also breaks down and compares different regions within the United States. In the Pacific Region1 there are 661 school districts with more than 500 students on free and reduced lunch meals. The Midwest region2 by comparison has 1,025 such school districts. (Pacific States Include: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Midwest States Include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.)

Other filters CHD Expert has available to dissect the data include: Ownership (Public, Private, and Religious); Enrollment, Number of Meals Served Per Day; Number of Schools in the District. There is also contact information available for each school and school district, which could include the titles of Principal, Superintendent, and Foodservice Directors.

“This is highly coveted information for foodservice providers who cater their products or services to schools and school districts,” stated Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “By understanding which schools obtain federal assistance, providers can better focus their sales efforts and position themselves to receive awarded bids from these schools. During times when school budgets are tight, being able to pinpoint who is getting a little extra help from the federal government can help your organization get more sales.”

To obtain more information about CHD Expert’s findings, or with general questions about education foodservice data, please contact Nicolas Watson.

For the Southwest Foodservice Expo, CHD Expert Releases New Texas Foodservice Data Packages Identifying Operators By Menu Type, Size, Revenue And Other Vital Data Points

Leading food service data and analytics company CHD Expert, evaluates the state of Texas and creates data packages focusing on the states largest cities and the state as a whole.

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the BBQ and Burritos, and with the Southwest Foodservice Expo just a few weeks away, leading foodservice data and analytics company CHD Expert, releases new counts on the number of restaurants in the host state of Texas and its largest cities.

As Texas has been growing in population in recent years, this has also resulted in an increase in the number of restaurants operating within the state. During 2012, Texas had a 3.11 percent net growth of new restaurants, whereas 4,283 restaurants had a grand opening, and 2,691 closing their doors for business. In relation to the overall US landscape, Texas had the fourth largest net growth in 2012. For comparison, Connecticut had the largest net growth at 3.99 percent, and Illinois was at the bottom with a decline of 3.16 percent.

While in the Lone Star State, whether you are in the mood for a fine dining experience or a quick delivery service, with over 53,000 eating establishments, there are a lot of places in Texas to satisfy your growling belly. Home to some of the nations best BBQ, in 2012 Texas had a state wide net growth of 5.34 percent in the BBQ Menu Type, with 220 new BBQ restaurants opening over the year. Additionally, this border state has some of the nations most authentic Mexican food, and the Mexican Menu Type saw a 10.04 percent growth over 2012.

And while this abundance is a blessing for the more than 26 million residents of Texas, and tourists who visit the state, keeping tabs on these restaurants can be a daunting task for businesses who aim to sell their products and services to restaurants that operate in Texas.

CHD Expert has made the process of obtaining restaurant information much easier and has produced three unique Foodservice Data Packages, providing data and counts for restaurants in the state of Texas. The first data package focuses on the host Metro area of Dallas/Fort Worth, which has 14,262 unique operators; the second package couples Dallas/Forth Worth with the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, Houston and San Antonio for a total of 30,428 operators; and the third package identifies 53,798 operators across the entire state of Texas.

Some of the information in the data packages includes: Menu Type, Years in Business, Annual Sales, Average Check, Annual Food & Beverages Purchases and Contact Information.

“These data packages are especially valuable to tradeshow exhibitors,” stated Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “It is not cheap to exhibit at a tradeshow and it becomes vital for exhibitors to get the most out of their attendance. Foodservice manufactures and distributers use our data to market their presence at the show and drive foot traffic to their booths. These data packages focus on the state of Texas, but we have the ability to consolidate the same type of information for any state, and many international countries. With the foodservice industry being so dynamic and volatile, having the right information becomes critical to generating sales.”

To obtain more information about what is included in the Texas Data Packages or to receive pricing, please contact Brad T. Bloom at bbloom@chd-expert.com

CHD Expert Releases New Data Finding That Mexican Restaurants Flourish in Chicago, representing 9% of the city’s Restaurant Market

Leading foodservice data and analytics company CHD Expert, evaluates the status of the Mexican restaurant industry in their hometown of Chicago, Illinois, and draws comparisons between the Mexican restaurant scene in Chicago and some of the nation’s largest cities.

Despite being about 1,500 miles from the nearest U.S. Mexico border crossing, residents of Chicago don’t have to travel far for an authentic burrito, as some of the best Mexican food in the nation can be found in Chicago. As reported in CHD Expert’s 2012 U.S. Foodservice Operator Update, the Mexican menu type had a net increase of 4.7 percent and was the second largest growing menu type in the U.S. With the 2013 National Restaurant Association Show just one month away, Chicago-based foodservice data and analytics firm, CHD Expert, reports on the Mexican restaurant industry landscape in their home town and NRA Show host city, Chicago, Illinois.

According to CHD Expert’s Foodservice Database,CHD FIND® (Foodservice Industry National Database), Mexican restaurants represent 9 percent of the total restaurants in the city of Chicago with over 600 options to choose from. Chicago has the 4th largest number of Mexican restaurants of any city in the country. Although New York City is the leading restaurant city in the country, they have 40 percent less Mexican restaurants (375), making up only 4.2 percent of the city’s total restaurant landscape.

Houston Texas has more Mexican restaurants than any other city in the United States, followed by San Antonio and Los Angeles respectively, and these border towns understandably have a strong Mexican influence on the local cuisine. According to the 2010 US Census Data, Hispanic’s represent 14 percent of the total US population; with Houston having a Hispanic population of 31 percent, San Antonio 37 percent and Los Angeles 34 percent. Further down the list of U.S. cities with high Hispanic populations are Chicago at 23 percent and New York at 21 percent.

The Mexican menu type is the most popular ‘Latin’ menu type in Chicago, with more Mexican restaurants than all other Latin menu type restaurants combined. Other Latin restaurant types consist of Brazilian, Caribbean and other South and Central American cuisine types.

Further breaking down the numbers, 61.7 percent of Chicago’s Mexican restaurants are considered Full Service Restaurants. Full Service Restaurants have a wait staff with table service, and restaurants that fall into this category include: Family Style Dining, Casual Dining, and Upscale/Fine Dining establishments. In New York City, 69.4 percent of Mexican restaurants fall into the Full Service segment. Contrarily, 38.3 percent of Chicago’s Mexican restaurants are considered Limited Service Restaurants whereas in New York, 30.6 percent of Mexican restaurants are considered Limited Service. Limited Service Restaurants do not offer a wait staff and are made up Quick Service, Quick Casual and Delivery/Take Away.

While a plate of tacos in Chicago might be a bit more expensive than what you’d pay in Tijuana, Mexican food in Chicago is still a relatively affordable option. In Chicago, 69.7 percent of Mexican restaurants yield an average check that is less than $15. In New York City by comparison, 60 percent of Mexican restaurants have less than a $15 average check. This is due to the fact that there are a higher percentage of full service restaurants in New York which drives the average check higher. Another contributing factor is that in general New York is more expensive than Chicago. In New York City 11.7 percent of Mexican restaurants’ average checks fall into the $30-50 range, whereas in Chicago it’s only 5.8 percent.

And while affordable food is normally associated with large fast food chains, CHD Expert’s data suggests that this is not the case in Chicago. 86.9 percent of the Mexican restaurants are independently owned and fall into the Mom and Pop category, whereas big chains, which consist of companies with over 500 restaurants in operation nationwide like Taco Bell, only represent 8.2 percent of Chicago’s Mexican restaurants. By comparison, large chains in New York City represent more than 14 percent of the local Mexican restaurants.

“For those of us who live in Chicago it is not a surprise to see that Mexican Food has such a strong presence in the city” stated Alex Hernandez, Account Manager at CHD Expert North America. “Chicago is a multicultural city with a strong Latin authority and diverse culture. Famous chefs like Rick Bayless and Manuel Bañuelos, have made Chicago a top destination for Mexican food in the United States, and when you come to the city and taste these bold flavors you will certainly associate Mexican food with Chicago.”

To obtain a complete breakdown on the United States Mexican restaurant landscape, or to schedule a time to meet in Chicago during the 2013 National Restaurant Association Show please contact Brad Bloom bbloom@chd-expert.com.