Restaurants in quandary as ‘new normal’ looms

CEBU, Philippines —  The restaurant industry in Cebu is looking at survival strategies as the ‘new normal’ may dampen the feasibility of dine-out food business.

Bunny Pages, who operates a multi-brand of restaurant chains, admitted that the pandemic and the emerging new normal lifestyle are making restaurant business more difficult to recover in the next two years.

Pages, the founder and chairman of Pages Holdings Inc., which operates House of Lechon, Lantaw Native Restaurant, Mooon Cafe, Top of Cebu, Sushi Boy, Cafe Racer, Mismukuno Teppanyaki, Taters, Shaka Hawaiian Restaurant, Daplin sa Dagat, Kampo Grill & Bar, Summers Frozen Delights, Fruitfull and Thirsty, believes that best strategy to overcome the current difficulties still has to be explored.

“At this time when every housewife can be on a takeout and delivery business, it’s very challenging (for us),” said Pages.

Despite the introduction of online food ordering platform—for takeout and delivery, restaurants are facing tight margins as homemade food offerings are increasing.

Pages mentioned his recent discussions with over 30 restaurateurs in the country in a digital meeting, saying everyone in the industry shared the same plight.

Even if a restaurant may decide to open for dining in the coming months, the strict rules in physical (social) distancing makes it hard for the business to make enough profits, due to limited customer accommodation.

While most of the branded restaurants are now accepting takeout orders and delivery services, Pages said business turn out is still very slow.

If a restaurant were to continue operating post-COVID-19 it would expect tighter margins, coupled with high cost of complying with the health protocols, he added.