Tamale Entrées Drop 7.8% on U.S. Menus as Labor Costs Outrun Pricing Power

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 20

Technomic data show tamale entrées fell 7.8% on U.S. restaurant menus between the second quarters of 2021 and 2026.
Three-day preparation, months of staff training and labor-heavy steps from nixtamalization to wrapping make tamales costly to produce, even when ingredients are not expensive.
Demand has not kept pace with that effort: operators say diners do not expect tamales as a staple, and one Virginia restaurant charges $6 each while still seeing less demand than tacos.
Chefs say tamales remain culturally important but are increasingly treated in the U.S. as a special or holiday food rather than an everyday menu item.