Tuesday, July 03, 2007 Strong peso triggers birth of Euro deli
THE Filipinos’ fondness for foreign delicacies and increased spending, especially in Cebu, have prompted a foreign businessman to open a European deli restaurant in the metropolis.
“There’s not much delis around here so I decided to open one. Any European would know about a deli and bistro but I think it’s time Cebuanos learn more about it,” said John Etherington, president of Pertarna Development Corp. (PDC), which operates Diddi’s Deli and Bistro (Diddi’s).
“Filipinos are fond of foreign food which is a good sign for the business,” he added.
Imported goods
Diddi’s, which is named after a chef who is a close friend of Etherington, is located along Osmeńa Blvd., Cebu City. The 30-seater deli offers both European and Filipino dishes like pizzas, wine, imported cheese, sausages, sauces, chips and pasta, among others.
Most of deli’s ingredients are sourced from Australia, Germany, Chile and Italy, among others while others are also purchased locally. Because it caters to students, working professionals and families, prices of food items are competitive, ranging from P100 to over P200.
Etherington said the deli’s variety of customers include Europeans and locals. Most locals, accounting for 50 percent of the deli’s entire clientele, buy European delicacies.
Etherington said PDC has spent some P3 million to set up the deli business.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Ethe-rington said that while this is not his first business in Cebu, he still considers venturing into the local business scenario a “challenging and worthwhile experience.”
Bureaucracy
He said the bureaucracy of establishing a business enterprise in the province has often “discouraged” him. He said he fear that red tape may turn off future foreign investors.
“Any business has only 30 percent chance of success. You take a gamble if you get into one, thus the hard work,” he said.
He is optimistic his business venture will succeed as more Filipinos now have greater spending capacity. He also noted an increase in tourism-related activities in Cebu.
Earlier, Ysmael Baysa, Jollibee Foods Corp. vice president and corporate finance and chief finance officer, said food consumption among Filipinos is experiencing a double digit growth this year as more people dine in restaurants and fastfood chains. (MMM)
