Elisa Buckley, Paris Office, Bord bia – Irish Food Board

Slowly but surely tacos are becoming a more prominent choice on French fast food menus. The French have put their own twist on the original taco, garnishing them with meats and vegetables of their choice and serving them with French fries. The French see tacos as half way between a kebab and a Panini, with the taco putting a twist on these two standard lunch foods. They are very appealing to the younger consumers, with clients typically ranging between the ages of 15-29. A number of specialised restaurants and food trucks can now be found next to high schools and universities.

Created in 2007, O'Tacos is the first chain of #FrenchTacos restaurants, with 100 outlets in France. Another chain is Tacos Avenue, which arrived in France in franchise in 2014, and today has 20 outlets. Both O’Tacos and Tacos Avenue have understood the necessity of adapting their recipes, using quality products in order to appeal to French consumers.

Street food outlets are also adapting tacos to on-the-go consumer lifestyles. Food trucks are now selling ‘Walking Tacos’ which are tacos wrapped in paper bags so that people can eat them on the move.

Taco chains and food trucks are all adapting their versions of tacos to meet the needs of French consumers. They are becoming the obsession of many, from starred chefs to Instagrammers alike. The hashtag #tacos has been associated with over 4 million posts in Instagram to date. Tacos are succeeding because they are catering to all tastes, and meeting everyone’s budget requirements.

For more information on this trend please email elisa.buckley@bordbia.ie.