Traditional Mexican diet may reduce breast cancer risk
A recent study shows that a true Mexican diet may help cut down the risk of developing breast cancer. It does matter what kind of Mexican food you eat, though. There's no shortage of Mexican food in San Antonio. Restaurants that serve up favorites like enchiladas and chalupas are on almost every corner. San Antonio Express News, 10/31

General Mills launches Hispanic health initiative
General Mills, Inc. (GMI), today announced the launch of a unique, three-year, grassroots program especially developed to encourage Hispanic families and children to share tasty, healthy and nutritious food as part of their daily routine. Called Mente Sana en Cuerpo Sano (Sound Body, Sound Mind), it involves a 10-session curriculum created by The Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. MarketWatch, 10/30

Well-known Hispanic baker draws crowd to Detroit coffee shop
Todd Wickstrom, owner of the newly opened Mercury Coffee Bar, is providing jobs and training by hiring from the surrounding Corktown neighborhood and other parts of the city. His baker is Martha Garza, a well-known home baker in the Hispanic community. While she's creating the Mercury's cakes, cookies, bars and coffeecakes, is also learning skills that could help her run a business of her own, Wickstrom says. Detroit Free Press, 10/30

Celebrating Day of the Dead's delicious side
Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish, was always a novelty for me when I was growing up in Tijuana. Like Cinco de Mayo, it seemed more like a commercialized holiday than a real one. The only signs of the event were the colorfully decorated sugar skulls sold at stands along the border - a reminder to all the tourists that they had, in fact, been to Mexico. San Francisco Chronicle, 10/29

Sam's Club opens Mas Club for Hispanic shoppers
Wal-Mart Stores Inc's WMT.N Sam's Club division is opening a new type of warehouse club aimed at attracting Hispanic shoppers with an expanded selection of products from Mexico. The club, to be called Mas Club, will be opened in Houston the first half of 2009. Reuters, 10/28

Chipotle plans 6% price increase
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said this week it would increase menu prices by 6 percent in the current fourth quarter to help counter rising costs that led to a dent in third quarter profit. The increase is not without risks, according to both company management and industry analysts. Customer traffic, already trending negative for the 800-unit burrito chain, may take an additional hit, as consumers continue to feel financial pressures that already have caused dining-out cutbacks. Nation's Restaurant News, 10/23

Rubio's rejects buyout offer
Rubio’s Restaurants Inc. has rejected the proposed $49.75 million buyout offer from investor Kelly Capital Investments LLC because the bid “significantly undervalues [Rubio’s] core business and operating plan,” the restaurant operator said. Nation's Restaurant News, 10/22

MillerCoors honors Hispanic leader
As part of its Hispanic marketing plan, MillerCoors has unveiled the 14 Hispanic leaders it is honoring this year. Print ads have begun running in local and national Latino publications and will continue through 2009. “They serve as an inspiration and an example of what one person’s dedication can accomplish,” Joedis Avila, multicultural relations manager for MillerCoors, said in a statement. Promo Magazine, 10/21

Hispanic grocery chain expands
Madera is home to a new grocery chain that has been expanding through the Central Valley. Rancho San Miguel Market opened last week and the 57,000-square-foot, full-service store is oriented toward Latinos but offers a complete line of national products, a full bakery where wedding cakes are made to order, salsa and juice bars and a pretty impressive deli that makes tortillas from scratch and serves a variety of dishes. The Fresno Bee, 10/19

Fiesta celebrates diversity of Hispanic culture in Linn Park
Thousands of people filled downtown Birmingham on Saturday for the sixth annual Fiesta, a celebration of Hispanic culture and heritage. The event in Linn Park featured music, food, art and dance with the goal of educating the public about the many different Hispanic countries. The Birmingham News, 10/19

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Week
Gabriela Cuen (pronounced Quinn) doesn't need a special reason to invite her friends over for a festive lunch of their favorite foods. However, lunch turned into a special occasion Wednesday when Gabriela and several of her friends gathered to share recipes and culinary traditions as part of Hispanic Heritage Week, which is observed from Oct. 13-17. The Daily Post-Athenian, 10/17

Chipotle celebrates local farmers
Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has won kudos for practices such as using humanely raised meat and serving BST-free dairy products, will be at the University District Farmers Market on Saturday. The fast-casual restaurant will offer free canvas market bags and "burrito bucks" good for a free Chipotle burrito, taco or bowl to the first 100 people at the green tent inside the market's entrance at University Way Northeast and 50th Avenue Northeast. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/16

Walmart to step up Hispanic products
Wal-Mart officials said Thursday they plan on offering more products aimed at the Latino market and promised to step up local donations to nonprofits and food banks. "The Hispanic community is very important to us. In many stores, I hear more Spanish than English," said Bill Wertz, Northwest divisional director of public affairs. Yakima Herald, 10/16

Guatemala present at Los Angeles Hispanic Food Expo
If you haven't tasted it, you must. Guatemalan food is all over the place, and now also present at the Los Angeles Hispanic Food Expo. We recommend tamalitos, chile cobanero, champurradas, chocolate and much, much more. The Guatemala Times, 10/16

Colombian coffee icon defies Starbucks doldrums
Starbucks may be struggling, but a Colombian cafe chain built on the fame of the world's biggest coffee icon is determined to buck the trend with plans to expand worldwide depsite the slowing economy that has forced others to scale back. Even as cash-short consumers cut back on gourmet blends, the Juan Valdez Cafe is selling coffee at 101 stores across Colombia, as well as at outposts in New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Santiago, and Spain. Yahoo Finance, 10/16

Retired CEO indulges in Margaritas
When John Sullivan of Montgomery retired in May after 18 years as CEO of Gold Star Chili, he knew he wanted to stay busy. "I didn't want to just play golf and let my mind go to seed," he said with a laugh. Sullivan was quickly recruited through his network of restaurant business contacts by Tony Vanjohnson and Brian Clark, founders of the Margaritas chain of restaurants, which now number six in the Cincinnati area. The Cincinatti Enquirer, 10/15

P&G hosts Latinnovation for its Hispanic workers
About 400 Hispanic Procter & Gamble workers attended Latinnovation, a gathering that serves as a motivational tool for employees and a cultural education opportunity for the company. P&G's international growth, plus a growing Hispanic population in the U.S., has prompted it to focus on Hispanics in its work force. The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/14

Costco's Mexican Partner seeks reorganization
Costco Wholesale Corp.’s joint-venture partner in Mexico is seeking a financial reorganization, but that should not impact the Mexican operations of Costco, industry analysts said Friday. "The pending reorganization of Controladora Comercial Mexicana (CCM), the holding company of Costco's joint venture partner in Mexico, is unlikely to materially affect the ongoing business of Costco Mexico," Deborah Weinswig, an analyst with Citicorp, New York, said. Supermarket News, 10/13

Celebra Hispanic Health Festival brings education and free medical screenings to Houston Hispanics
Celebra La Vida Con Salud, the largest national Hispanic health education campaign addressing major illnesses that disproportionately impact Latinos, made its seventh stop on its 2008 health festival tour in Houston on Sunday. Celebra provided health information and free medical screenings to Houston area Latinos in an effort to help improve their overall health status. Hispanic PR Newswire, 10/12

Comercial Mexicano affected by spiraling peso
Accordnig to Reuters, the Mexican supermarket operator Comercial Mexicana requested bankruptcy protection against creditors because it was unable to make debt payments due to a recent decline in the peso. Reuters, 10/10

Arizona's Hispanics low on healthcare
About one in five Arizonans overall and one in three Hispanic residents lacked health insurance in 2005. However, Alberto Esparza, president and CEO of the Si Se Puede Foundation, a group that advocates for youth in Arizona, said a lack of health insurance isn't just a Hispanic issue.
Arizona Republic, 10/10

Regent's Ordinary adds flavor to Hispanic Heritage Month
Chef Dan Murphy is cooking up a meal to show that Hispanic food is not all rice and beans. Since Hispanic cuisine varies from region to region, town to town and family to family, it is difficult to define "authentic" Hispanic cuisine. That's why Murphy selected a sampling of items.
The Virginian-Pilot, 10/10

Latino diet needs healthy boost
The benefits of healthy food such as grains need to be promoted among the Hispanic community which is at greater risk of suffering the impact of a poor diet than any other ethnic group. The Hispanic community is particularly at risk because of food insecurity, lack of access to healthy foods and low socioeconomic status among other factors, said Melendez-Klinger, a registered dietician who is a member of the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) scientific advisory board.
Food Navigator USA, 10/09

Chef Pepín encourages healthy eating during Hispanic Heritage Month
Chef Pepín has spent the last 20 years in the homes of Hispanics throughout the country via their television sets. Now he’s taking time out during Hispanic Heritage Month to try to encourage those same people to make their menus at home a little healthier. With high food prices, a lot of people have an additional perceived barrier to eating healthy foods, he says. But many simple, inexpensive steps can be taken to improve caloric and saturated fat intake
San Antonio Express, 10/09

Hispanic 360 Conference teaches retailers how to talk the talk
The need for multicultural involvement across the entire organization is something keynote speaker Greg Cunningham, director of multicultural marketing for Minneapolis-based Target Stores, stressed as well. Reaching Hispanic consumers, he told Hispanic 360 attendees, requires a strong, integrated business strategy that incorporates relevant messaging, respect and differentiation into every aspect of a brand or company. Convenience Store News, 10/08

Expansion on the table for Goya Foods
Homes are in foreclosure, banks are topping and the nation's credit markets are tight. But Goya Foods Inc. is going strong. In fact, the Secaucus, N.J.-based business - the largest, Latino-owned food company in the United States - is on track to generate $1 billion in sales this year. "When we talk to our sales people and plan our marketing strategy, we see no reason why we shouldn't grow 20 to 25 percent over the next five years," said Evelio Fernandez, Goya's vice president. San Gabriel Valley Tribune, 10/07

Family-run La Altena market opens new California store
While most people their age are wondering what they're going to be doing with their lives, Pedro and Ricardo Oropeza are making sure that the signs inside of Manteca's second La Altena Hispanic grocery store are just perfect. After growing up learning the ropes of the family-owned business, the brothers are now getting ready to spread their wings with a massively renovated complex at the old Goodwill Store location in the 200 block of West Yosemite Avenue. Manteca Bulletin, 10/07

General Mills promotes healthful eating among Hispanics
General Mills is expanding its Hispanic-marketing platform Que Rica Vida (What a Healthy Life), which includes a website and magazine about healthful living, with a grass-roots program to offer lessons about nutrition to up to 10,000 Hispanic women at community centers starting recently. Ad Age, 10/06

Balduccis launches Spanish food promo
Balducci's Food Lovers Market has introduced its "Discover the Delicious Flavors of Spain" promotion, featuring a wide array of foods from various regions of the Iberian country, including tapas, delicatessen and bakery items, and grocery products. The gourmet grocer will offer samples of various foods every Saturday between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at all 10 of its stores. Progressive Grocer, 10/06

Goya breaks ground on New Jersey manufacturing facility
Goya Foods Inc., a multi-cultural food company headquartered in Secaucus, has secured a spot in the Gateway Business Park. The second largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States has broken ground and begun construction, said Salem County Improvement Authority (SCIA) Executive Director Jack Kugler. New Jersey Sunbeam, 10/05

Mexican food a favorite for presidential candiate Barack Obama
When Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, want a special night out in Chicago, they often head for the award-winning Mexican restaurant Topolobampo. But don't equate the word "Mexican" with burritos and refried beans. Chef Rick Bayless founded "Topolo," as locals call it, almost 20 years ago to prove to Americans that genuine Mexican cooking can be as sophisticated as French and Italian. NPR, 10/05

Taco trucks in LA County can stay put
What has become known locally as the great Taco Truck Wars of 2008 appears to have come to a close. The district attorney's office said Friday that it won't appeal a judge's ruling in August to throw out a law that requires taco truck operators to move every hour or face $1,000 fines and possible jail time. San Jose Mercury News, 10/03

Ethnic food trend adds spice to U.S. palate
Asians and Hispanics are no longer a minority in large cities across the US and census figures predict that they will form a majority by 2050, according to John Corella, spokesman for the Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food industry event which will take place this month. Corella said,“There are a lot of products coming out that are uniquely flavored to address the cultural shift.” He gave the example of lime flavored products with chili, which is typically Hispanic. Food Navigator, 10/02

Guatamala's Pollo Compero opens in Miami
Whenever Christina Fiallos would go home to Guatemala City she would bring back a box of Pollo Campero chicken. When friends would visit Central America she would ask them to do the same. Miami is now the latest site in the U.S. expansion for Pollo Campero, which bills itself as the largest Latin American chicken restaurant chain. The Miami Herald, 10/02

Chipotle launches green development
Chipotle Mexican Grill, known as the leader in making high-end dining and top quality ingredients available to everyone, is now leading the charge on more environmentally responsible building designs. Chipotle will open a “green” restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois with a six-kilowatt wind turbine on-site that will generate a portion of the restaurant’s electrical needs. Yahoo Finance, 10/01

Organizers buzzing over the biggest Hispanic Heritage Month ever
The men talked to the "Budweiser guy" about prices and quantities as they stood on the gray bricks where a beer garden will soon sprout in Town Center for the Hispanic Heritage Festival of Palm Coast. Daytona Beach News-Journal, 10/01