Have you noticed that the nicest, most expensive restaurants usually offer French / Continental cuisine, whereas Asian restaurants (Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) and Mexican restaurants are usually at a much lower price point?

Of course, that statement is not an absolute – but on the whole, the most expensive restaurants (think those with Michelin stars, $300+ meals, and extensive wine / alcohol lists) are French or continental restaurants. Fast food places, meanwhile, are far more likely offer Chinese, Indian, or Mexican fare. Even Asian restaurants that are nicer and more expensive are almost uniformly “fusion” restaurants (with the exception of pricey Japanese sushi houses).

As a big lover of almost all cuisines, I’ve wondered about this disparity for a long time. I thought about titling this post Disparity in Restaurant Prices by Different Ethnic / Cultural Cuisines, but wow, a mouthful, eh?

For ease of writing purposes, I’ve decided to make French restaurants and Chinese restaurants my two subjects of study.

Non-Scientific Survey of # of High-Class French Restaurants vs. Chinese Restaurants

If I search for “French restaurants” on Yelp in San Francisco and focus only on the $$$$ price category, I come up with 8 results on the first page. If I search for “Chinese restaurants” with the same price designation, however, there is only one result - Jai Yun.

A similar search for New York City – the dining capital of the U.S. – resulted in 5 Chinese restaurants categorized as $$$$ on Yelp. There are, however, 10 results for French restaurants on the first page alone, and many more restaurants extending beyond the first page.

Why Are There More Expensive French Restaurants Than Chinese Restaurants?

Can it be that French cuisine requires more skill / expensive ingredients than, say, Chinese cuisine? I don’t know – perhaps, but I am hesitant to attribute only skill or ingredients to such a great disparity. Somehow, in the “restaurant hierarchy”, consumers (and I admit, myself included) have become accustomed to pay much more for a plate of beef bourguignon than a plate of stir-fried beef and broccoli.

A large part of this restaurant hierarchy comes down to branding and history. French and continental cuisine have been branded as an exquisite dining experience, whereas Chinese or Mexican food have been categorized as mostly “fast-food” – delicious, yes, but still “fast food”. A couple that want to celebrate their 20th anniversary goes to a 4-star French restaurant. A couple that is exhausted after work orders Chinese takeout from the corner cafe.

From a historical perspective, fine dining in America has traditionally belonged to French / continental cuisine. The best chefs at the best restaurants are frequently trained at French culinary institutes. Also, French cuisine is still more mainstream / less foreign than Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine might be to the general American public.

The market supports different cuisines at separate price points.

Self-Perpetuating Circle & Challenges of Rebranding

This phenomenon has become self-sustaining – as more French restaurants are usually acknowledged as “occasion” restaurants – the places you go to celebrate an engagement, wine and dine clients, or impress your parents, it becomes easier to find backing and the dining base needed to sustain a high-class French restaurant. It’s a circle that perpetuates itself.

People have come to expect different things from French restaurants (service, ambiance, exquisite meals) than Chinese or Mexican restaurants (fast service, low prices). In addition, there are such a proliferation of cheap, mom-and-pop Chinese / Mexican restaurants (especially in big cities with a large immigrant population) where you can get an entire lunch for $5. It’s even cheaper than McDonald’s!

The chef who wants to start a 4-star Chinese restaurant not only has to compete with (1) the French restaurants for patrons who would pay $100 for a meal for two, (2) he/she must also convince the patrons of the cheaper Chinese restaurants that it IS worth it to pay $25 for beef & broccoli (which at his shop may be made with organic grass-fed beef) instead of $8 for the same dish a few blocks over, and (3) change the mentality of future patrons that Chinese food is only for take-out or casual sit-down dining.

The chef who wants to open and make a profit from a 4-star, $30-per-entree Chinese or Vietnamese or Mexican restaurant must redefine an entire consumer mindset. They must rebrand an ethnic cuisine. Rebranding is hard work – and it’s no wonder that few chefs have successfully accomplished such a task.

What do you think? I love food and I love consumer behavior, so I find this a fascinating topic. Please share & discuss!