Design firm raking profits from booming food sector

With the country’s booming food sector, a design company based in Manila is optimistic to generate more orders for food carts and kiosks this year.

“Demand for food carts, kiosks and restaurants are higher now compared to five or 10 years ago because the industry nowadays has become very competitive as everyone wants to be noticed,” said Ana Belinda C. Naval, the Administration Officer of Designer’s Den, Ltd., a Manila-based design company behind design of some establishments and kiosks in the city such as Polo Loco in IT Park, Quickly in SM, Gloria Jeans Coffees and Sampaguita Suites.

Designer’s Den, Ltd., which is one of the exhibitors in the recently concluded World Food Expo at the Cebu International Convention Center, designs and builds made to order display racks, gondolas, food carts and kiosks, bar counters, exhibition booths, special set ups, graphic arts and mass product displays.

With their so-called program for “profit merchandising system,” Designers Den aims to heighten consumers’ interests, build preference for their clients to help simplify the selling of their products.

“The food industry is our biggest clients as it composes 70 percent of our clientele. Especially that retail food courts have required carts to have distinct and catchy concepts and designs,” said Naval.

Having ventured in Cebu for about four years already, Naval said that they have already been able to generate quite a number of return clients based in the city.

“Cebu is a very promising city with a lot of potential for businesses to grow especially small investments. Most of our clients here are renovating their stores and they get our services to update their designs,” she said.

Proof that the country’s emerging food industry is at its growth, Naval said that last year, they were able to generate 30 deliveries of food carts and kiosks in a month.

“We conceptualize our designs based on customers’ specifications and the products they sell. Our performance this year is quite early to tell but most of our clients last year are ordering again,” she said.

Well conceptualized designs for food carts as Naval reiterated is very important especially that the business has become more attuned to branding and packaging strategies. She said that as compared to food carts without well-conceptualized designs, carts with attractive and customized designs can stir the interest of buyers thus generating more profit for the business.          

“The traffic of buyers is overwhelming. So we make sure our designs are well-suited for our clients for them to also attract as many clients they can with the help of our designs in their booths, kiosks and carts,” she stressed.

She said that in making a design they consider their client’s products or services, location of the cart or kiosk and the factors that can stir interests of customers.

“When we conceptualize a particular design, we focus on the profit that our clients can generate by making sure that each design can attract customers’ interests.”

Designer’s Den, Ltd. has been a 2005 Consumer’ Choice awardee and received an international trophy for quality in 2006. — Rhia de Pablo