As more Mexicans cross the border to make a life in the U.S., the companies that served them while in their home country are following the same path in search of new business opportunities.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, five restaurants from Tijuana have opened locations in San Diego County to meet the demand for "authentic" Mexican food.
Luis Valdivia, a board member of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, told the paper, "Our culture and our cuisine is more widely accepted, and it's a natural consequence of the closeness and the movement between the border cities, yet there's been a noticeable growth lately."
Some of that growth has resulted from wealthy Tijuanans moving north in response to an increase in kidnappings. When these consumers moved into the U.S., they brought their desire for familiar Mexican foods with them.
Other U.S. border cities have also seen more Mexican businesses setting up shop. In El Paso, Texas, where 80 percent of the population is Mexican, there has been a marked increase.
James Clark, director general of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's Mexico Business Center, said it would be a mistake to assume that these companies are just chasing old customers to a new location in the U.S.
"The Hispanic market is huge, but the overall market is much bigger and there is no reason why Mexican companies of quality can't compete," Mr. Clark said.
Mark Sloan, a project consultant with the chamber, said, "Whether you are based in the United States or Mexico, you want to take advantage of market opportunities, and the best way of doing that is to get closer to the customer."
Discussion Question: How much of a competitive impact can we expect to see Mexican companies have in the U.S.? Are there any retail businesses moving north that have the opportunity to hit it big with consumers beyond their Mexican base?