By Sonya Delgado
The Davao City Business Bureau recorded an increase in the number of restaurant businesses in the city who registered their establishments in 2024.
Maribel Paguican, Head of the Business Bureau, said in an interview on Wednesday that for this year, a total of 1,241 restaurant businesses applied for permits.
This is significantly higher than the 1,176 applicants in 2023.
Out of the 1,241 applicants, the Business Bureau has already issued permits to 1,083 restaurants. The remaining 158 are still in the process of complying with the remaining requirements.
“After the pandemic, it’s very good to note that the (restaurant business) sector is still alive and kicking. There’s vibrancy in their operation since the data will speak for itself,” Paguican said.
She also bared that during the height of the pandemic in 2020 to 2021, the bureau recorded an almost 11 percent decrease in restaurant business renewals.
In 2020, there were 1,013 restaurant businesses that applied for permits while in 2021, there were only 891. In 2022, the bureau recorded at least a 20 percent increase with 1,070 applications.
Paguican said the decline in the number of restaurant businesses during the pandemic can be attributed to the strict health protocols imposed during the lockdowns.
Meanwhile, factors affecting current businesses in the present include the existence of pop-up food stalls, mobile food stalls, and night markets.
There are also the differences in marketing strategies that significantly affect the restaurant industry.
Paguican added that their office continues to coordinate with other government agencies that serve as regulatory bodies for the industry to address the concerns and issues raised by the restaurant industry in the city.
She said they are also in close coordination with the Davao City Tourism Operations Office to revisit and revise the fees imposed for tourism accreditation.