Coco's Cuban Restaurant Named To '100 Plates Locals Love' List

CUMMING, GA -- Coco's Cuban Restaurant, in Cumming, has been named to the state's 2016 "100 Plates Locals Love" list.

The list was compiled by the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s tourism division as part of its 2016 state culinary guide, Georgia Eats.

Georgia Tourism’s guide features the wildly popular 100 Plates Locals Love, 10 flavor tours, feature stories, exclusive recipes from local chefs, popular food festivals and more.

The division released Georgia Eats on Tuesday. In particular, the guide cites Coco's Cuban sandwich as a must-try dish.

"Traditional, authentic Cuban sandwich on freshly baked Cuban bread, served with the best rice and beans. Yummy!" the guide's description reads.

“Culinary tourism has been on the rise over the last few years as consumers are looking for unique food and beverage experiences while traveling,” said Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner for tourism at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Georgia offers visitors unique culinary experiences in every corner of the state making it easy for visitors and locals to taste the many flavors of Georgia with locally grown products, award-winning local chefs, notable food festivals and much more.”

In 2012, it was estimated that tourism expenditures on food services in the U.S. topped $201 billion, nearly a quarter of all travel income, making food services the highest category of tourism spending, according to the University of Florida report: “A Flash of Culinary Tourism.” 

The report also estimates that 39 million U.S. leisure travelers chose a des­tination based on the availability of culinary activities, while another 35 million sought out culinary activities after deciding on a destination.

The second annual Georgia Restaurant Week will take place July 18-24, 2016 at participating restaurants throughout Georgia. During this week-long event, patrons, both local and from out of state, will be able to explore the numerous dining options throughout Georgia for a special price and sample locally grown products that are available in Georgia’s restaurants.

Coco's Cuban Restaurant is located at 1240 Buford Hwy.