By: Cheryl M. Luis
The COVID-19 pandemic affects some restaurant businesses and some are even closed down due to lack of dine-in customers and scarce of customers. But some restaurants and food businesses have been born during the pandemic at a rate that almost no one predicted a year ago.
Starting a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic may sound about as ill-advised as going for a hunt in stormy weather. Most Metro Manila restaurants were closed down due to an enormous shift in household food spending brought on by the pandemic, which redirected money that had been used for eating out toward groceries, delivery, and takeout.
Paradoxically, the challenges that killed so many existing businesses helped fuel the growth of the COVID-19 restaurants. In interviews, people who opened restaurants during the pandemic say that never having operated in normal conditions gives them certain advantages. Like start-ups competing with legacy companies, they may have lower overhead costs and the agility to adapt to a shifting environment.
These restaurants are mostly built with ‘al fresco dining or open-air and the supply are just comes from within the place or communities. One restaurant owner who bravely opens during the pandemic is the “KUSINATA” which is found at Barangay Kumaliskis, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, Philippines, 45-minutes away from Bacolod city with magnificent nature sceneries, outstanding local cuisine.
“KUSINATA was established in 2019 along with my son with a unique social enterprise restaurant that offers the best in ethnic fusion cuisine and supports the eco-tourism initiatives of the province’s summer capital, Don Salvador Benedicto,” explained by Mary Lucille Grey, owner of KUSINATA restaurant during my interview in my Health and Lifestyle program which aired every Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon to 1:00 pm.
“The venue is staffed by Ata tribesmen and women, and mentored by volunteer chefs and professionals with a pro-indigenous people, pro-nature advocacy, and support the buy local-sell local movement and your dining refuge in paradise, 2700 feet above sea level, that can let your stress away by close to nature,” Grey added.
Another restaurant that opened in a pandemic is Maria Gracias – Santa Barbara Iloilo. A franchise restaurant and owned and operated by a very young couple.
Claire Dorothy Castillion, who formerly works in a hospital in Iloilo, decided to franchise a Korean barbecue restaurant.
“I love watching Korean drama and also love to eat Korean food, so I decided to franchise a Korean barbecue restaurant. This is family-owned because all of my workers are my husband, sister, and in-laws. I was also overwhelmed to see lots of customers going in our restaurant,” Castillion explained.
The restaurant is located at Taft Ilawod St. Brgy. Zone 6 Santa Barbara Iloilo, with a cozy and ‘al fresco dining. The restaurant serves Korean cuisine with a touch of Filipino flavors.
These two restaurants may have different concepts but they are commonly opened during the pandemic. They are both known to their customers as a useful service that helps them feed their families, not a noisy and crowded destination, and even help also the community. /PN
