Making Bigger Bets
F&B Report|Volume 14 No 6

Homegrown Provincial Restaurants Are Confidently Taking a Gamble by Entering Manila’s Flourishing Dining Scene

Tricia Morente
Making Bigger Bets

Having run local concept Blue Posts Boiling Crabs & Shrimps for four years now, and the now-defunct Blue Post bar in Davao for 25 years, Anthony Ang is not exactly a newcomer to the local F&B industry. He is used to running restaurants and operating a fast system. But he admits to not being totally prepared for the change in tempo to a more upbeat rhythm when he expanded his brand and opened in Metro Manila last year. “You need to really love challenges to open in Manila kasi hindi ka mauubusan,” he relates, half-jokingly.

Successfully launching a metro-based restaurant in cities like Davao and Cebu is quite a familiar tale. But stories of the reverse are few and far between. Growing one’s footprint in Metro Manila has always been a double-edged sword: You have a population of 12.8 million with growing purchasing power, but then there’s the cut-throat competition that is definitely not for the weak-willed restaurateur.

It’s no wonder, then, that it took Zubuchon six years (it launched in Cebu in June 2011) to finally open a branch in the country’s capital. It was a decision that owner Joel Binamira shares he “did not take lightly.”

“Manila is a much larger market than Cebu, with eight to 10 times the population, and definitely more competition in terms of restaurant choices,” explains Binamira, such that even when as early as 2012 he had been receiving several requests a month to either open a branch or allow a franchise to operate Zubuchon in the mega city, it took “another two years before we finally found the right place to open our first branch, and attach roasting pits,” he says.

TALES FROM THE FRONT

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Volume 14 No 6-Ausgabe von F&B Report.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Volume 14 No 6-Ausgabe von F&B Report.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS F&B REPORTAlle anzeigen
Regional Picks
F&B Report

Regional Picks

Hard-to-get food products are now within reach as a young startup brings edible finds from the provinces to the capital.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Time To Engage
F&B Report

Time To Engage

If the customers want to leave more money on the table, then why is the industry allowing them to walk out the door?

time-read
4 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Earth Bound
F&B Report

Earth Bound

Despite its divisive principles, biodynamic farming could be a solution to the heavy price of industrial agriculture.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Bitter Beans
F&B Report

Bitter Beans

The coffee may be good, but the plight of farmers continues to leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Sustainable Spaces
F&B Report

Sustainable Spaces

Resorts, no matter how distant from the city, are hoping guests will appreciate a lighter carbon ootprint and produce harvested from their backyard.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Break Line
F&B Report

Break Line

Nitro-charged Horchata, Handcrafted Chocolate, Fresh Smoothie Bowls, and a Retro Boutique Hostel Are Driving the F&b Boom in LA Union.

time-read
9 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 3
Seasons Of Taste
F&B Report

Seasons Of Taste

Whatever Dish Is on the Table, Mccormick Seasoning Blends Will Take You on a Palatable Journey

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 6
A Taste Of Tomorrow
F&B Report

A Taste Of Tomorrow

Influential Trend Forecaster Cécile Poignant on the Lifestyle Factors That Will Shape the Hospitality and Travel Industry

time-read
3 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 6
Long Time Coming
F&B Report

Long Time Coming

At the Heart of Josh Boutwood's Career Is the Rise and Fall of a Fragile Relationship With Himself, His Family, and an Exhilarating Future That People Are Finally Taking Notice

time-read
4 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 6
Vegan Chocolate
F&B Report

Vegan Chocolate

Chocolates Are for Everybody. Yes, Even Those With Strict Diet Restrictions

time-read
2 Minuten  |
Volume 14 No 5