THIS year seems brighter for Davao’s restaurant and food industry as the city is fully adapted on how things are changed in terms of purchasing and ordering food in general from our favorite restaurants caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and as our local government is currently striving for herd immunity.
The year 2021 will be a good start to feel somehow “normal” again as Davao City’s restaurants are almost back to full operation as they have already started to continue their dine-in services since last year from their adjustments in food deliveries, changing of menus, and skeletal workforce.
Yvonne Alverez, Business Development manager of one of the finest cafés in the city, the Lobby Café, said the public could expect more accessible food deliveries as third party food delivery services are now increasing in numbers and a wider variety of food that will give them a wider choice from their favorite restaurants and cafés,
It was seconded by Arra Racil, Sales and Marketing manager of a high-tech and eco-friendly hotel in Davao, the Blue Lotus Hotel.
“I think the Davao food industry is something we should watch out for. We have many talented local chefs emerging, and I am excited for all the sumptuous food they will create using local produce that is abundant in our city,” Racil said.
This year will also be a perfect start for small players in the restaurant and food industry as some of the prominent restaurants in the city have decided to close since the Enhanced community Quarantine (ECQ) was implemented last year.
“This somehow gives them the opportunity to ‘be heard and be seen’ in the market,” Wakki Gonzales, owner of Fasta Pasta atbp., an expanding and rising small player in the food industry in the city, said.
Gonzales also added that the competition in terms of selling food online would be tighter than last year as most people have invested in the food business this year brought about by the ECQ.
Thus, he advised the newbie to “make sure you have good quality food at a reasonable and competitive price in order to get a spotlight in the market.”
The food industry may have faced many challenges because of the pandemic but the industry players have also learned a lot of lessons.
“Stay true to your brand,” Alvarez said, adding that “it’s one of the things that most of our customers are complementing this café because regardless of the pandemic we really haven’t compromised the quality of our food. What they savored and have been looking forward to since 2019 is still the same when we’ve returned even though they cannot visit the store physically.”
“Despite all the odds, we have to be resilient and be able to adapt, no one was ever ready for the pandemic, but we continue to have faith and be hopeful that better days will come and these challenges will come to pass,” Racil added.