010812 McDonald's Tests Latin Dishes in Fla.August 2, 2001Miami, FL - The Big Mac attack is adding a Latin flavor. McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, is trying to tap into the Hispanic consumer market in South Florida by adding classic Latin staples to its traditional menu of cheeseburgers and fries. Its restaurants here launched the New Taste Menu of South Florida last weekend. The fast-food chain will decide whether to keep the items on the menu and expand the offerings to other restaurants based on results. Hungry customers can choose the classic Cuban sandwich with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on toasted Cuban-style bread. For a treat, they can try the Dulce de Leche McFlurry with carmelized, sweetened condensed milk. And the breakfast crowd can sample the Latin McOmelet, featuring a folded omelet with diced tomatoes, ham, onions and spicy cheese on a fresh-baked roll. Even lovers of McNuggets will have a Latin option - pineapple mango dipping sauce. “This is a chance to test the viability of the products and see if this is something that our consumers like,” Silvia Jaramillo, assistant marketing manager for the company's South Florida region, told The Miami Herald. “Hopefully, in the mind of consumers, it will give people more reasons to come to McDonald's.” McDonald's is the latest to try to tap into the Hispanic market. M&M/Mars recently launched a Dulce de Leche-Caramel Chocolate Candies in five predominantly Hispanic markets, including Miami. The fast-food chain's move has already caused some skepticism. “In a predominantly Latin community, you can go anywhere to get Latin food,” Denise Rodriguez, 33, told the newspaper. “McDonald's is famous for its hamburgers and fries. They need to stick with this stuff.”
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