Restaurant Trends

When Cliff and I came back from the U.S. late 2010 we were pretty surprised to find that the restaurants that we enjoyed dining at years ago have either closed down or about to close down (food doesn't taste the same as before). Frankly there are only just a handful of these classic restos that are still operating and it is really sad. On the other hand, there are a huge influx of newly opened trendy restaurants opening all over Metro Manila area but for someone that worked in a hospitality/ restaurant industry I can only say that these restaurants have a certain expiration date to them. That is what my husband and I were discussing a few nights ago... how these restaurants will last up to a max of 10 years and will eventually close down. Why I came to these conclusions are based on these factors:

1. Trend - restaurants operate in the assumption of what is hip and trendy in town. Notice that in 2011, Bubble Tea became the latest trend, since then we had a whole bunch of these opening almost at the same time, Serenitea, Chatime, Bubble Tea, Happy Lemon, Gong Cha, & TeaTap Cafe just to name a few. Also in order for others to keep up with the business they are now offering bubble tea drinks in their own stores- Seattle's Best now offers something similar to bubble tea. As we all know, these are just a fad like fashion, eventually when peoplle grow tired of these, one will find every store closing down.

2.Taste/ Quality of Food- it is pertinent to know that taste is another factor, maybe the chef has change or the quality of food is no longer the same. For example, I grew up enjoying the beef in a pot by Mario's. Growing up, I noticed that they no longer have that ob their menu but you can still make that request and they will still make it for you, however on my recent dining out experience at Mario's I noticed that the quality has already changed. The sauce is no longer thick but watery, it was bland and there wasn't enough cheese on top, not to mention that the choice of beef was tough. I will still go back to Mario's for the other dishes but I will no longer order the beef in a pot that I grew up with.

3. Price- this is a number one factor why restaurants are closing down. Rent might be too expensive and therefore the ingredients of the food has to be compromised in order to be able to sell with a low unit cost and higher profit. For me, this is a big no no!

Most of the restaurants opening are very trendy, taste wise it is good but price wise it is not. Let us see how my forecast is, whether it will stay in business or will close down!

How not to be pissed when travelling by: Cliff

1. do not go with closed-minded people who are so damn ethnocentric and compares everything to everything in their country

2. do not go with picky eaters who only eat to what their accustomed to eating, unless it is due to health reasons. with religious concerns, i can only say to try at least local cuisines since the purpose of the trip is to immerse and experience local culture and taste (same goes for vegans and vegetarians)

3. know the damn currency conversion and never travel cheaply, gauge how much are you going to spend and what you're looking to buy

4. the internet is not a reliable source of knowing where to go or see some sites in a place or where to get the best bargains..... solution..... why not ask around? locals know more than we do.

5. know the price of travelling locally by train, subway, taxis, and other forms of transportation so you don't ask "where'd my money go?"

6. learn basic local language and understand local ettiquetes

7. be street smart and be wary of "tourist traps," never ask anything from a sidewalk peddler in a shady neighborhood

8. never be out late in partying or clubbing in dark places

9. be open-minded so as to reduce culture shock, some are openly conservative and some are exactly the opposite