A Fishy Trend

Fish tacos are showing up on more menus across the country.

July 12, 2010

LOS ANGELES - There??s something fishy about one of the hottest restaurant trends this year. Fish tacos have landed on menus as diverse as California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory, USA Today reports. Other restaurant chains that are looking into adding fish tacos include El Pollo Loco and Taco Bell.

"You??d think people would run away from fish today with the oil spill," said Warren Sackler, hospitality professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. However, consumers are drawn to fish tacos and the spill hasn??t impacted the sales of this dish.

California Pizza Kitchen found that sales of fish tacos advanced "way beyond normal" in testing, said co-CEO Larry Flax. Last month, Fresh Fish Tacos ranked as the most popular of all Mexican items at Cheesecake Factory, even rising to the top 20 of its 200 entrees in sales, said Mark Mears, marketing chief. The chain sold 52,000 fish tacos in June.

At Rubio??s, which is one of the places that first brought fish tacos to this country more than a quarter century ago, sales for the dish are still growing. Rubio??s is on track to sell15 million fish tacos in 2010.

Taco Bell is considering offering fish tacos in all locations. During the 1980s, the chain had fish tacos in regional markets, said David Ovens, marketing chief. The chain will be testing the dish next year. "There??s a big chunk of customers looking for premium products at a good price," said Ovens.

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