Health-conscious consumers drive growth of resto chain

CEBU, Philippines — As more consumers are trending toward more health-conscious eating, Singapore-grown restaurant chain SaladStop! sees opportunity for massive expansion in the Philippines, including Cebu.

Katherine Braha, co-owner and director of SaladStop!, said that the company is looking at increasing its number of outlets in the country, to add to its existing 10 branches located in key cities. It recent opened in Cebu at the Ayala Center Cebu to start off its Southern Philippine penetration.

SaladStop!,  which is known for its revolutionary offerings of vegetables and fruit salad mixes, is one of the popular restaurants that immediately respond to the shift of eating behavior of modern consumers.

The Philippines as a market, Braha said, is quickly adapting to this shift.

"You are now even more health conscious and discerning. This has pushed us to bring our advocacy further,” said Braha, a Swedish restaurateur whose family started the SaladStop! chain in Singapore.

Based on the latest report released by UK-based global market intelligence agency, Mintel, it revealed that the preference for natural, simple and flexible diets will drive further expansion of vegetarian, vegan and other plant-focused formulations.

This year particularly, Mintel reported that the food and drink industry welcomed more products that emphasize plants as key ingredients.

According to Mintel, Healthy food and drink are not (anymore) “luxuries."

Braha added that it is Cebu’s rising awareness on health and wellness that prompted the company to bring the brand here and even looking at good location to open more branches in Cebu.

For its Cebu operation, Braha said almost 100 percent of the restaurant's raw material requirement is locally sourced. In fact, the company has started to connect with local farmers.

"We have partner-farmers in Cebu where we get our supplies," she said.

Mintel further said that more packaged products and recipes for home cooking will leverage fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, botanicals and other plants as a way to align with consumers’ nearly omnipresent health and wellness priorities. (FREEMAN)