CLEVELAND — Peeling plantains is routine for Wajdi Charif who’s bringing the first cuisine blend of its kind to Cleveland.
What You Need To Know
The global Hispanic food market is projected to grow to around 90 billion by 2033
This trends coincides with a greater consumer demand for global flavors, including hybrid restaurants, according to food experts
Around 8% of U.S. restaurants offer fusion food menu items
He’s the co-owner of Habibi Latina, a Latin American and Mediterranean fusion restaurant that has caught thousands of viewers attention on social media. The restaurant opened its doors to the public in August and is located at the heart of the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood.
Charif said he was living in Michigan and settled down in Cleveland around a year ago to live with his wife of seven years.
“Habibi Latina, came out of Latin love because my wife is Puerto Rican. I am from Lebanon, the Middle East,” he said.
The restaurant mixes traditional ingredients, and menu items include popular cultural dishes.
“They love the idea of that, fusion of the Mediterranean,” Charif said “…There was someone who came in [and] he said it was his dream to be able to eat tabouli and empanadillas, same place, same time.”
Still, Habibi Latina isn’t the only Latin American fusion restaurant that’s making its home in Ohio.
John Barker, CEO of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance, said its a trend that’s spread across the state in recent years.
“The growth has been pretty terrific,” Barker said. “And the number of restaurants serving food that might have different flavors from different parts of the world, but clearly, the Latin American influence is one that we’re all as consumers, we’re all enjoying it.”
The Hispanic food market plays a significant role in Ohio’s economy, Barker said.
“You think of the economic impact of those restaurants, you know, it’s in the many it’s in the many hundreds of thousands of dollars, in just to revenue coming into it,” he said. “And then the tax base … the sales tax, and then all the people who work there, in terms of their their income tax.”
And while they’re still settling into their new space, Charif said, he hopes Clevelanders come by and get a taste of the community’s diversity.
“Especially when you are here in the States where it’s … a melting pot from all different, from all over the world,” Charif said. “I think we should see a lot, we should see more of that,fusion of food of different cultures.”
Dining and Cooking