The second most frequent term noted in the word cloud is ‘homemade’ followed by ‘fresh.’ These terms show efforts to showcase distinct “quality-based” attributes of food items. Coupled with the frequent mention of ‘organic’ and ‘unique’ terms, it is clear that the overarching focus of the food venues is to promote local and familial heritage and identity. The frequency of the word ‘traditional’ can also be viewed as a promotional strategy to attract an audience seeking authentic food and cultural experiences. The management is aware of the continuous market demand for “traditional cultural eatertainment”, that is, entertaining the eaters [
49]. They continue to offer a myriad of “cultural Products” [
46]. Furthermore, the use of words such as ‘Italian’, ‘Nepali’, ‘Mexican’, ‘American’, ‘Austrian’, ‘Indian’, and ‘Northern’ illustrate objective authenticity connotations as the purpose of using them is to generate nostalgic memories of a place or a country, particularly for the diaspora markets and other markets seeking to immerse in “exotic”, “othered” settings [
1,
31,
35]. Gilbert has several iconic ethnic restaurants and food experiences that they promise on the signature websites, illustrating “the potential to intimately engage and submerse consumers into various cultural, spiritual, and spatial and temporal places” [
36] (p. 323). Ethnic restaurants serve as conduits of cultural expressions and serve as the first touch point with the “Other” culture for visitors [
36,
50].
4.1. Online Surveys
Next, several questions were asked through online surveys to elicit insights on authenticity perceptions of food offerings. The comments associated with the local food culture promoted by the venues are presented on the next page. Noticeably, akin to the online content, the word “local” appears in the answers of approximately 58% of the respondents. Overall, four themes are identified: local, place-based culture, slow food, and ingredients. These themes describe the food culture of the restaurants, the farm, and the farmers market, although the latter differs in the manner in which embraces and promotes these themes. Examples for each of the gleaned themes are presented in
Table 1. Several dimensions of authenticity are supported. Extant literature recognizes that authenticity of food experiences relies on local and/or ethnic ingredients; in fact, objective and negotiated authenticity of localized offerings are noted to be the important reference points for stimulating cultural capital [
30,
36,
51].
With regard to the question eliciting information on the décor of the food venues,
Table 2 outlines the key themes. Different décor items are employed to celebrate the history and heritage of Gilbert. The focus is elaborately on “provenance” which points to the significance of ingredients in terms of their local source and uniqueness [
11,
36] in culinary heritage offerings. This dimension supports the objectivist dimension of authenticity.
As illustrated in
Table 2, the themes reveal slant towards showcasing of objective authenticity. Additionally, respondents perceive tangible cultural resources to be important and relevant to their location. For example, one food venue owner celebrates the traditional attributes of Gilbert with decorations that pay homage to the traditional architectural style of the previous century by using old tractors, murals, flooring, rafters, brick, signage, and shopping carts. Another example can be noted in a converted farmhouse with farm-kitchen style furnishings. One restaurant proudly showcases paintings of the original building, while simultaneously communicating a sense of place. Almost all venues use tangible attributes to demonstrate the authenticity of their venue.
With regard to the description of the food/cuisine served at the food venues,
Table 3 presents recurring themes associated with the served food. They appear to promote homemade and organic food items from their menu with a sense of pride. The serving style is described in a plethora of ways such as geographical outreach, beverage, food items, sense of taste, and personal touch/health.
The food venues also illustrate efforts to highlight a sense of taste and higher quality items. The websites share information on how their menus are shaped by popular demand for ethnic food and veggie diets. Healthy and nourishing ingredients are listed to communicate a focus on nutrition and healthy meals. With regard to the question eliciting insights on how the owners serve and present food/dishes in a traditional or cultural manner, most respondents do not view the association of food with culture and traditions as important, rather their attention is more towards gastronomy. One respondent states “BBQ traditions go back many years, to the days when people prepared their smoked meats in a “low and slow” fashion that we ascribe to today”.
Another question asked if the owners occasionally change their menu and ingredients to offer novelty and/or cater to consumer demand. Themes gleaned from their answers are illustrated in
Table 4. Noticeably, according to the farmers market: “
We have some rotating vendors in order to keep the market fresh”. This implies creative efforts to offer variety and novelty to the repeat visitors market while recognizing the phenomena of agro-ecology (the typology and climate of the land) by celebrating seasonality aspects of the agricultural produce [
19].
As the table shows, the choice of local ingredients contributes to stimulating a sense of place. A farm restaurant, for example, offers dishes based on fresh ingredients. That said, in most cases, the menu is shaped by what is produced locally. Some hesitancy and a lack of confidence is noted with regard to the efficient supply of local ingredients and food items. Depending on how ‘local’ is defined, there might simply not be an abundance of a particular product locally grown to meet the restaurant’s demand. In addition to celebrating the ‘localness’ of food items with a sense of pride, organic food predominantly features in the menus.
Local produce facilitates a sense of place. The sense of localness and connection with place would not be relevant without taking seasonality into consideration. Customers need to be informed of the dynamic behind the selection of menu items and their seasonal rotation. In the words of one respondent: “
We have a constantly rotating seasonal menu”. This disposition and strategy, once again, showcases sensitivity and commitment to foster deep connections with the local landscape, typology, and climate [
19].
Moving forward, the owners were also asked to offer insights into the efforts to retain the authenticity of their food venue in contemporary times. As
Table 5 shows, five key authenticity-based themes emerged. In addition to connecting the customer to the place where the ingredients are produced, authentic showcasing at the restaurants also creatively connects the location and the history of the food venues. By promoting the history of the town and narrating it creatively through food items, the owners are embracing both objective and negotiated stances of authenticity [
30,
35,
36,
46]. Heldke [
52] reports three aspects of authenticity in food: different or novel (mirroring the constructivist perspective); replicable (prepared by the cook as if it is somewhere else or sometime else, mirroring the negotiated perspective); native (emphasizing the objective notion of authenticity). For the most part, the latter aspects of authenticity are reiterated by this study.
Quality of food is the main focus in addition to ensuring an authentic dining experience. Although a lot of attention goes into the details on how the food is served such as the kind of plates and the manner in which food is organized on the plate, the key focus of the food venues is on the ingredients and the recipes, such as (in the words of some respondents): “
Ethically sourced ingredients; high value on humanity and; always pushing towards compassionate service”. The connection between quality food and authenticity is based on the assumption that authentic local food will be relished by the customers who are seeking traditional food flavors and experiences. The dishes are homemade with different flavors and from locally sourced products. Another question elicited views on the main strengths of the food venues from an authentic food standpoint (see
Table 6). The frequent messages conveyed are associated with timelessness (history), local (from the place of origin in the case of ethnic restaurants) ingredients, health, and nutrition.
With regard to the use of the terms ‘scratch’ and ‘transparency’, the respondents use words such as: “
scratch kitchen; everything from scratch; you can see the vegetables growing in the field and immediately purchase them”. Cooking from scratch means the food venues cook their own meals and incorporate whole, fresh ingredients, rather than pre-assembled or processed meals and meal components. The results of the responses suggest that they leverage flavor, taste, and local ingredients as evidence of authentic food offerings. Their answers draw attention towards the source and the manner in which ingredients are obtained. For instance, highlighting specific farms and growing methods (such as organic) helps to promote messages associated with healthy food choices. It also became clear from the answers that the respondents accord importance to nourishment and healthy ingredients. These initiatives hold the potential to support community building and wellbeing efforts as they encourage people to embrace healthy eating habits [
16,
19,
23].
In one question, the respondents were requested to offer a narrative of the original history of their venue and explain the manner in which the history or heritage is used to shape the promotional materials and guide the type of heritage experience offered to the customers.
Table 7 captures the essence of the responses received. Historical connections are frequently used to offer a sense of connection to the place. Furthermore, international connections or origin and natural or nature-related demonstrations also shape the promotional content to enrich the heritage experience of the customers. For some venues, it also appears that the traditional or familial connections, conveyed through the name of the venue, portray a sense of authenticity [
1,
11,
36].
The farmers market is somewhat distinct and unique from other food venues. The manager of the farmers market feels that their place has the potential to be a hub of the Gilbert community and promotes a deep sense of connection/belonging with the land and the local produce. Furthermore, several studies have claimed that the birthplace and nationality of the chef has an impact on the manner in which ethnic or cultural aspects of food are prepared and presented [
17,
18,
32]. Therefore, the next question was designed to find out if the owners/chefs are originally from Arizona or if they are transporting cultural norms from another state or country. Insights into the production process are also important and according to Robinson and Clifford [
11], the production process refers to the authenticity of the cook and the authenticity of the food preparation process. The integrity of the chef is also an authentic part of the food preparation process [
29].
As
Table 8 shows, the restaurant chefs have both multicultural and local roots. They were born and raised in countries such as Mexico, Nepal, and Chile. It is also not a surprise that their experience is shaped by their Arizonian lifestyle, the knowledge gathered from educational institutions, and childhood memories from their place of birth. It is also evident that the chefs continue to evolve and adapt their working styles to the changing environment and customer demand. Some of them bring experience from other cultures. Furthermore, what is noticeable is that they are devoted to their work and prepare and present dishes with a sense of fondness and ardor. As
Table 9 shows, the chefs carry many years of experience with them and hold both cultural and nutritional values that are geared towards healthy and nourishing cuisines. These dispositions support the notions of both constructivist and negotiated authenticity.
The Gilbert Farmers Market response was, as expected, different. According to its management, it portrays a sense of sincerity and commitment to nourish the local residents and the visitors. With regard to competitors and symbolic markers that give leverage to the selected food venues, it is noted that approximately 10% of respondents feel that they have no competitors in the market because they provide unique food that cannot be replicated or substituted. In the words of one respondent: “Locally, we do not have much competition. We do not believe there are products that can match our quality”. Other respondents acknowledge competition from the market but emphasize that their quality, setting, location, and distinct way of cooking and presenting food makes them distinct: “we are more multi-faceted; others do not focus on nourishing whole-food plant-based cooking; not aware of another competitor that does as much as we do”.
One exception, again, is the farmers market, which competes with similar markets in the neighboring cities like Phoenix, Mesa or Scottsdale. But at the same time, it claims that its distinctive feature is the exclusive and unique selection of its suppliers. In the words of a manager: “Our main competitors are farmers’ markets in Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. Our primary difference is the vendors we have. It’s all about having the right and local vendors. According to the manager, local vendors and local produce signifies objective authenticity of its offerings”.
4.2. Participant Observation
The first author visited several food venues and observed their décor and setting from the standpoint of objective, negotiated, and constructivist authenticities. Another purpose was to match the manner in which the food venues are authentically marketed on the websites to the way they showcase authenticity on their premises. Agritopia is an organic urban farm and garden. This community is engaged in growing vegetables, gardening, and in general, it can be called an educational resource on urban agriculture. It is home to organic produce, fruits, dates, eggs and more. The farm offers self-guided and guided tours. The farm has four iconic restaurants of focus in this study: Joe’s Farm Grill, Tae Coffee Shop, Uprooted Kitchen, and Garage East. Additionally, Barnone is a craftsman community located in the farmland. Here, visitors find some of Arizona’s most authentic retailers ranging from woodworkers to experimental winemakers, restaurateurs, etc. The farm offers an authentic slow agro-tourism experience as it not only offers traditional food but also houses a public garden and different volunteering opportunities. The gardening community houses more than 40 lots, a tool shed, and numerous activities. Visitors can stroll through the gardens to view the seasonal plants. This activity also offers participants an opportunity to chat with the gardeners and become informed about local produce and what grows seasonally.
Until the year 1981, the Liberty Market was the only grocery store in Gilbert within a 15-mile radius. Today, the Liberty Market has become a simple and modest urban bistro, in the heart of old town Gilbert next to the Historic Water Tower (an historic landmark of Gilbert). Many remnants from the past can be witnessed in the restaurant. Examples include old shopping baskets and ham slicing equipment. Another food venue, the Mexican restaurant Barrio Queen is also located in the historic town of Gilbert. The restaurant is decorated in a Mexican style. Joe’s Real BBQ restaurant is located inside a 1929 brick building which originally housed a grocery store. The front of the restaurant still showcases the look of the grocery store from decades ago. The restaurant offers a historic country ambience with a relaxed cafeteria style dining room and a giant outdoor picnic patio. The observation notes reinforce the key findings from the websites and the online surveys. This data triangulation approach confirmed the validity of the overall results.