Exploring the Growth Potential for Peruvian Gastronomy in the Finnish Market

Abstract

The research study explores the market potential and viability of introducing Peruvian gastronomy, including the concept of Peruvian restaurant and food truck to the Finnish city Seinäjoki. Despite the constant growth of the foodservice industry in Finland and ethnic foods taking up 17% of the overall market across nationwide, Latin American and, more precisely, Peruvian cuisines are underrepresented. The purpose of the study is to evaluate consumer demand, determine the opportunities and problems in the Finnish food industry and design a long-term sustainable business plan according to the demographics and the economic background of Seinajoki. The research design assumed the adoption of quantitative research, where the structured and closed-ended online questionnaire was sent to the residents of Seinajoki and vicinity. The 62 valid responses were used to analyze the data based on the descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and attitudinal scoring, which measured dining habits, price sensitivity, Peruvian cuisine awareness, and readiness to test new international foods. The major findings show that there is a great potential of entering the market. Although the respondents did not know much about Peruvian food, the respondents showed great inter-est in the prospect of experiencing Peruvian food, particularly among the younger age groups. This paper concludes that Seinäjoki is a potential market of Peruvian Gastronomy. The business-based models of a Peruvian restaurant or food truck could easily penetrate this local Finnish market.