Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Aquaculture & Fisheries

This report is part of a series of studies conducted during the third quarter of 1999 in Honduras. The project was designed to assess the Honduran market to determine the potential market for tilapia. Three different surveys were conducted: a supermarket survey, and open air fish market survey, and a full-service restaurant survey. This report will focus on the latter. A random sample and a census of full-service restaurants were taken in all major urban and selected rural areas of the country. The survey resulted in 72 completed questionnaires by restaurants randomly selected throughout the urban and selected rural areas. While the vast majority of restaurants were familiar with tilapia, only 30% sold tilapia. While tilapia sales were increasing, less than half of the restaurants promoted tilapia entrees. Restaurants that did not sell tilapia still rated it favorably on many attributes but had difficulty obtaining reliable supplies. These restaurant managers also were hesitant about customer reactions to tilapia. Reliable supplies, samples, and catch-of-the-day promotions in restaurants would likely be effective in creasing sales of tilapia. An emphasis on quality and year-round availability of fresh filets will be critical factors to encourage more restaurants to experiment with tilapia.