Chef-based trends to shape the culinary sector this year

CEBU, Philippines - As Cebu’s restaurant or culinary industry progressed to maturity, it sets competition changes in the horizon and soon customers will witness a “Chef-based” challenge in the offing.

This means that restaurants in Cebu will be competing more with a “personal touch” service and food preparation, mostly by owners themselves, said restaurateur and Chef Raki Urbina.

Urbina, whose family owns the Cafe Laguna Group of restaurants in Cebu, said the restaurant competition in Cebu will be more on personalized expertise of Chefs, while about 30 percent or more, who are studying culinary courses here and abroad wants to have their own businesses.

“Opportunity is there. The market is still dynamic, in fact very promising. But, we see a different competition level starting this year,” said Urbina in an interview.

Despite the challenging economic state, the Cebu culinary industry enjoyed brisk performance in the last couple of years, including last year Urbina said.

This year, Urbina said the players are also anticipating a more exciting year for the industry, despite stiffer competition, restaurant owners in Cebu are also preparing to meet the changing demand of the dining-out customers.

Tourism and the increased purchasing power of Cebuanos brought about by booming Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), sustained inflow of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) remittances, double-digit growth of real estate sector, among others, are just few contributors to the promising restaurant industry in Cebu.

For her part, Leona’s cakes and pastries owner Jane-Jane Ong said despite the entry of established brands in her sub-sector in the food retail business, local brands still thrived, as they continue to invest on innovation, and understands the changing preferences of customers.

“Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of new concepts. Stores are opening up. A lot of players in the market. But we continue to evolve,” Ong said.

Local players on the other hand have advantage in the competition, as “they understand the market more.”

“Cebuano market is choosy, picky,” said Ong adding that local players are used to trail blazing the short life span of Cebuanos’ favorite choice. This means, she said that every now and then, players have to introduce something new, different concept, to excite the market—constantly.

The reason why, Cebuano restaurateurs in particular have to step-up and take further education to enhance their expertise in the business because the industry is becoming too competitive, and national and international chains are also entering the Cebu market, Urbina said.

 In 2011 alone, a number of new restaurants opened in Cebu, mostly with specialized concepts, highlighting the expertise of Chefs, Urbina said.— (FREEMAN)