A CEBU-BASED restaurant owner is stepping up expansion and upgrades across his dining concepts as the local food and beverage (F&B) scene becomes more competitive with the entry of Manila-based brands and the rollout of new mall spaces.
Constantine “Stan” Tanchan, president of Choobi Choobi Flavors Corp., said they are bringing the Choobi Choobi brand to Bohol and Boracay next year to take advantage of the islands’ booming tourism. He noted that the brand is already popular among Koreans, with the restaurant now part of their itinerary when they visit Cebu.
“It makes sense to expand in these islands because of the high Korean traffic in these destinations,” he said.
Besides expanding Choobi Choobi, Tanchan is also eyeing to open the third branch of Wu Yang, a Chinese restaurant, in Cebu next year. Wu Yang, which serves authentic Cantonese dishes, has existing locations in SM Seaside City Cebu and Banilad High Street.
Choobi Choobi currently has nine branches, mostly company-owned, with locations in Davao and Dumaguete.
In addition to expansion, Tanchan announced that they have completed the upgrade of Choobi Choobi restaurants since last year, a strategic move to stay relevant in Cebu’s competitive dining scene.
He explained that consumer preferences are shifting quickly, with diners looking for fresher concepts, experiential dining and value-for-money menus.
“You can’t just rely on name recall anymore. Customers are always on the lookout for something new,” said Tanchan, at the opening of Choobi Choobi’s ninth branch in Island Central Mall in Lapu-Lapu City over the weekend.
“We’ve noticed that diners now place a premium on a restaurant’s aesthetics. They want spaces that are Instagram-worthy,” he said.
The company’s upgrades come as Cebu’s retail landscape continues to expand. Developers are adding more gross leasable area in malls, which both opens opportunities for F&B operators and intensifies competition. According to Tanchan, a single restaurant upgrade requires an investment of around P6 million to P7 million.
“We have to compete, otherwise, we will be left behind,” he said.
Industry players note that Cebu’s dining market is evolving into a mix of homegrown brands that are scaling up and national chains that are bringing in their flagship concepts. Analysts say the trend is a boon for consumers but poses challenges for operators to differentiate themselves in terms of menu, service and brand experience. / KOC