International Journal of Hospitality Management 29 (2010) 549–558 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Hospitality Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhosman A model of historical development and future trends of Italian cuisine in America Angelo Camillo a,*, Woo Gon Kim b,1, Patrick J. Moreo c,2, Bill Ryan d,3 a Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, 2044 E. Evans Avenue, Office # 330, Denver, CO 80208, United States b International Center for Hospitality Research, Dedman School of Hospitality, The College of Business Florida State University, 288 Champions Way, UCB 4116, P.O. Box 3062541, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2541, United States c Food and Beverage Management Department, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154-6022, United States d School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration, Oklahoma State University, 210 HESW, Stillwater, OK 74078, United States ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: This study investigated both the historical development and future trends of restaurant cuisine Future trends in America. Italian cuisine is used as the basis of a prediction model. The study identifies the Cuisine trends historical factors in menu trends in Italian–American cuisine; the factors that will influence culinary Historical development trends in the future, and whether the results can be applied to the development of a prediction Italian cuisine model that will predict how restaurant cuisine in America may develop. This study used both Cuisine popularity qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (online survey) methods. The growing popularity of Restaurant cuisine Conceptual model Italian cuisine in the United States will continue to shape the evolution of America’s restaurant cuisine. ß 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction environment, the cuisine of the world is produced almost everywhere, because of the efficiency of the food-supply chain. 1.1. Historical background and recent development The agricultural industry has adapted to trends in the foodservice industry, and cuisine has become cyclical and subject to change The search for food has always played an important role in the just the same as the current unpredictable world economy. The cultural evolution of mankind. Food consumption has been at the restaurant industry benefited from the industrial revolution and center of this evolution: eating culture, rituals, and food from inventions such as the first commercial kitchen equipment preferences based on environmental and social conditions (e.g., kitchen oven and pressure cooker) invented by Benjamin emerged. Societies have adopted specific food preferences Thompson Rumford (Brown, 1981). according to their tastes, their environments, and their economies. Clearly such historical trends have improved people’s living They have also chosen their foods and drinks that became symbol standards, and eating habits. This paper analyzes the past and of individual culture and developed agricultural systems to present of Italian cuisine in America. It also proposes a prediction produce them and methods to prepare them, and evolved eating model to predict future trends of restaurant cuisine. This model, it habits reflecting their own taste. is hoped, will aid in predicting restaurant cuisines and dining These events have created food cultures, rituals, and symbols. trends in America. With the birth of the restaurant in the Palais Royal in 1783, patrons became accustomed to generating demand; chefs responded by 1.2. Purpose of the study creating new dishes and menus (Kiefer, 2002) and by forecasting demand (Blake and Crewe, 1978). Now, in an evolving global This study explores the historical development and future trends of restaurant cuisine in America, using Italian cuisine as an example. The study identifies the historical factors of trends in Italian–American cuisine and the factors that will influence these * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 303 871 7671. trends in the future. Its objective is to determine if the results can E-mail addresses: [email protected] (A. Camillo), [email protected] (W.G. Kim), be used to create conceptual model that will predict the evolution [email protected] (P.J. Moreo), [email protected] (B. Ryan). of restaurant cuisine in America. This analysis is integral to the 1 Tel.: +1 850 644 8242. 2 Tel.: +1 702 895 1052. development of a model that will predict cuisine trends across the 3 Tel.: +1 405 744 8485. foodservice industry. 0278-4319/$ – see front matter ß 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2009.09.002 550 A. Camillo et al. / International Journal of Hospitality Management 29 (2010) 549–558 Two research questions have been formulated: Italian food culture (McLean and Janni, 2002). The real break- through for occurred in the 1930s. Among the first Americans to 1. What historical factors have affected the development and discover and appreciate Italian food were artists and politicians. popularity of Italian cuisine in America? Ralph’s Restaurant in Philadelphia, which has been operating for 2. What factors will influence Italian and all other cuisines in over 100 years, was a favorite place of President Theodore America in the future? Roosevelt, and since 1915, Ralphs has hosted many celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Tony Bennett, Rocky According to Namvar (2000), accurate and timely information Marciano, Al Martino, and Sammy Davis Junior (Rubino, 2009). about what is likely to happen to the economy and society has always been of value to business decision makers. Predicting 2.2. Chronology of the oldest Italian restaurants and pizzerias in trends is critical to success in today’s competitive restaurant America landscape and enables restaurants to be proactive in sustaining their competitive position by improving the efficiency of front-of- ItalianrestaurantsreflectItalians’strongethnicidentity.Creditforthe the house and the productivity of back-of-the house operation, popularityofItaliancuisineandtheproliferationofItalianrestaurantsin both of which contribute to greater market share and revenues. AmericaoughttobegiventothefirstownersofItalianrestaurants.Pizza came to America with southern Italians in the latter half of the 19th 1.3. Significance of the study century.AmongthemanyItaliandishesbroughttoAmerica,pizzaisthe onlydishdevelopedintoamultibilliondollarindustry(Stradley,2004). Research about food and cuisine is of wide academic interest Althoughthesegmentmaystillbeclassifiedas‘‘Italian’’,ithasacquiredan because in eating, humans transform natural products into cultural identityofitsown.Pizzaisa$32billionayearindustry(CNBC,2008).Asof ones through advancement of cooking practice and evolutions of July 2007 there were 74,300 pizzerias in the U.S., representing food science and eating habits (Meigs, 1997). The scope of this approximately 8% of all restaurant operations in the country (PMQ, research is to understand how cuisines have developed in the past 2008). The pizza industry consists of 66.5% independent operators, and how they will develop in the future. Change in eating habits has 10.13%byPizzaHut,6.92%byDominos,3.75%byPapaJohn’s,2.72%by been supported by the evolution of communication, improvement in Little Caesar, and 10.12% by others (PMQ, 2008). Some of the oldest infrastructure and new technologies in food production and independentItalianrestaurantsandpizzeriasinAmericaareFiorD’Italia, preparation. These changes have enabled people to become more Ralphs,Tortorici’s,Barbetta’s,andFrankGrisanti. educated in their food consumption preferences according to their cultural identities and social networks (Harris and Ross, 1987). 2.3. Critical success factors of Italian cuisine in America Because of globalization and the fact that any food is now available anywhere during any season, this study identifies the factors According to the International Association of Italian Restau- affecting people’s food choices and how these choices affects their rants (ARDI, 2007), three factors have contributed to the fame of decision as to what makes ‘‘good’’ food good, (e.g., tasty, healthy, Italian cuisine in America: (1) the marriage of taste and simplicity, authentic, or ethical), thus leading to the preservation of traditional and a balance of nutrients used in the ingredients; (2) the high cuisines such as the Italian and to the creation of new ones (Petrini quality of products such as pasta, olive oil, prosciutto, cheese, and and Padovani, 2005). In order to narrow the perspective of historical wine; (3) the image of authentic Italian restaurants. Cinotto (2001) development of cuisines and future cuisine trends, this study investigated the depictions of Italian food in American popular concentrates on Italian cuisine in America. magazines. He wanted to determine if such representations were evidence of the radical transformation of consumption that 2. Literature review theorists of social change claimed occurred in the United States around. Cinotto’s findings offer valuable contributions, in large There is abundant literature on food, food culture and cuisine part because American popular magazines have been writing across disciplines such as cooking, nutrition, food service and food about Italian food since 1950. marketing (Douglas, 1997). For the purpose of this study the A search for the term ‘‘Italian Cooking’’ in The Readers’ Guide to authors consulted the copious literature on the influence of Italian Periodical Literature