The foodservice arena certainly has benefited from appetizers on menus, as these small delights can bring delights of their own in the form of a high profit margin. As a whole, consumers have shifted to a grazing style of eating, reflecting a trend away from three square meals a day. Instead, consumers eat smaller portions four or even five times per day. Restaurants certainly have responded, with their appetizer menus offering items perfectly suited for snackers.
Such ethnic appetizers have found quite a following among consumers due, in great part, to restaurants which serve to familiarize consumers with a variety of concepts. Once familiar with such offerings, consumers are hard-pressed to match the flavor and taste of these genuinely ethnic foods. Therefore, the prepared appetizer segment has found a sizable market for ethnic food products.