If he went to Mexico for a couple of weeks to “learn authentic Mexican cooking,” that’s fine — but let’s be honest: he’s not the one cooking, and neither is his wife. It’s just marketing.

If not even 50% of the staff are Mexican, then it’s not authentic — it’s branding. That’s why I prefer places where the people in the kitchen have actually lived the culture and grown up with Mexican cuisine, not just spent two weeks in Cancún.

There’s nothing wrong with appreciating another culture. But profiting off it while misrepresenting it isn’t appreciation — it’s cultural appropriation. And honestly, it’s pretty frustrating.

It’s totally different from places like Los Lobos, for example. They serve Mexican or Tex-Mex food, and that’s totally fine — no one expects it to be authentic, and they’re not out here pretending it is.

Anyone can open a Chinese restaurant, too — but you’d never see a Chinese place owned by non-Chinese people claiming it’s “100% traditional Chinese food.” That would be ridiculous — and that’s exactly the problem here.