Huh? Cheap ethnic restaurants have been an option in big cities (and food trucks in certain cities), my whole life. I’m 48. And around here, they’re certainly not just Mexican: Middle Eastern, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Salvadoran - last night we had an inexpensive delicious dinner at a Yemeni place. When we go out to eat, that’s our default; if I’m paying someone else to cook for me, I want it to be something I can’t easily cook myself.
And cheap doesn’t mean low service. And I can’t remember the last time I set foot in a McD’s or other chain fast food joint. Why, when you can get better food for about the same price without all the artificial additives?