It's become a tradition for most Filipino families to spend weekends at the mall. Hours are spent watching movies in the cinemas, doing some shopping, running errands in the supermarket, and most definitely eating together. Family-style restaurants, no matter the cuisine, expect lunch and dinner service to be packed. During these times, they're always well-prepared to serve customers and dish out menu items that are ideal for sharing.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and malls were immediately shut down, those in the restaurant industry had to think quickly to find solutions to survive. This was the case for Burgoo, popular for their American-style food with big portions, and Gumbo, known for their unique Louisiana Creole cooking.
We at Unilever Food Solutions sat down with Mr. Albert Alavera, Operations Manager of both restaurants, to talk about what it was like for their food businesses at the beginning of the lockdowns and how the restaurants are doing today. Read on to find out how they manage to stay afloat and continue serving their customers, especially now that restaurants are starting to reopen.
Understanding the challenges to finding plan B
Burgoo and Gumbo were both set to expand their business in 2020 by opening new locations. But suddenly, all these plans had to be put on hold to accommodate the unforeseen changes brought about by the quarantine protocols. Several challenges arose and according to Mr. Alavera, it was vital for them to study each one carefully to find solutions.
Changing the experience
Both Burgoo and Gumbo are known for their excellent dinein experience. They would welcome customers of all ages, from babies to senior citizens! Burgoo would even provide their customers with crayons and paper as big as each table to keep them busy while waiting for the food to arrive.
Today, making customers feel safe became the new mark of good service. Practicing all the mandatory safety protocols, doing additional cleaning and sanitizing, limiting the staff’s conversations with customers, and going as contactless as possible are what make new normal experiences memorable.
Going online
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, Burgoo and Gumbo turned to food delivery platforms like GrabFood straight away. Until this day, it’s the safest and most convenient solution to let loyal customers continue eating their favorites. Being on the platform also allowed more potential customers to discover the restaurants as they can both easily be found while scrolling through the app. The organized ordering process, hassle-free payment system, and trusted riders are able to put restaurant owners and operators at ease.
Apart from GrabFood, having a strong online presence, especially on Facebook, also help Burgoo and Gumbo stay relevant. Posting content, menu updates, and store operating hours make it simpler for both restaurants to stay in touch with their loyal customers.
Working with less
Having limited manpower and ingredients also proved to be a struggle at the start. A lot of staff members opted to stay at home with their families as there were no modes of public transportation available. The employees who were able to report to work had to learn how to wear different hats. Mr. Alavera said that he also had to learn how to become a server and even bust it out in the kitchen. But instead of it being a burden, it became an opportunity for the staff to learn new and valuable skills. Thankfully, with the vaccine roll-outs and more lenient guidelines, Burgoo and Gumbo are starting to welcome more and more of their employees back to work once more.
Being limited to only easy-to-source ingredients was a major issue at the beginning of the pandemic as well. It became almost impossible to source out essential items due to the travel bans and shut-downs. How were Burgoo and Gumbo able to rise above this issue? They recalibrated their menu and kept the dishes that would allow ingredients to be maximized. It lowered down costs, lessened any waste, and gave customers more reasons to order. Choosing which items would survive deliveries also became a factor in deciding what their new menu should consist of. How easy it would be to transport and how to keep items tasting fresher for longer became new considerations.
A restaurant that’s strong together, stays together
Keeping your head up high, staying true to your restaurant’s goals, and continuously finding solutions to any issues that arise are crucial in order to survive. For any business that has been able to establish itself before the pandemic happened, Mr. Alavera says that one must keep their investments in mind.
Opening a restaurant is not a walk in the park and a lot of money is needed to get the business off the ground. So deciding to shut down without looking into all the workarounds would result in a ton of losses. He says that as much as possible, it’s best to continue operations and find new ways to recover from the losses.
With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder that Burgoo and Gumbo remain successful despite what has happened. Even with all the business know-how, having the right mindset when facing such issues is what will help your business make it through.
You can visit Burgoo’s branches at SM North Edsa, Gateway Mall, and Vista Mall Taguig, SM South Mall Las Piñas, and The District Cavite. For Gumbo, you can find their branch in SM Megamall. Both restaurants can be found on GrabFood in the Grab app.
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