The food industry is outstanding because everyone needs to eat and everyone craves. Many people became successful due to this business, so this is the best business to start, especially because Filipinos are foodies. How can you be ahead of your competitors? By being unique! In this article, you’ll get ideas for creating unique food businesses in the Philippines.
Table of Contents
1. Tanghulu
Many Filipinos visit Binondo to try Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese snack that is fruits coated with sugar. It became famous because it is both delicious and Instagrammable. The hype is up and currently, there are very few stores selling this in other places in the Philippines, especially in Visayas and Mindanao. So if you start a Tanghulu business in your town, it will go viral and there will be a lot of Filipinos who would want to try this snack without the need to go to Binondo.
All you need to start this business is a small pop-up store, sugar, fruits, skewers, and your packaging. Making Tanghulu is also easy so you can start easily.
2. Xiao Long Bao
Another famous Chinese food that is hard to find in other places in the Philippines is the Xiao Long Bao. I’m dying to try this food but I can’t buy one here in Iloilo City. Only two restaurants sell this here and they were both expensive. So, if you’re city has no restaurants yet selling Xiao Long Bao, this is the best time to start this business.
We all love Siomai which is almost the same as Xiao Long Bao except that Xiao Long Bao has broth inside. So, if we, Filipinos have been addicted to Siomai and made this as our staple snack, Xiao Long Bao will be the same. However, it’s a bit hard to make Xiao Long Bao, so researching the recipe and practicing to make it would be a good start.
3. Odeng
Filipinos are into Korean Dramas and we are also into Korean food! Whenever you see the food in the dramas, you want to try it and your cravings are surging. One of the foods that is always in the dramas, is the Odeng or the Korean fish cake. You can see in the dramas that in Korea, street vendors are selling Odeng just like how Filipinos sell street food.
Filipinos want to eat Odeng but you still have to go to Korean restaurants before you can have this. So, if you can find a supplier for Odeng, you can set up a food stall near the school or offices with high foot traffic and for sure, your Odeng would be a blockbuster.
4. Picnic basket
With the Philippines’ beautiful landscapes and sceneries, you can go picnic to many places. But does everyone have the time to prepare for the picnic snacks and food? With this very busy time in our lives, not everyone has the time. So, have a business to help them. You can sell picnic baskets online and deliver the basket door to door with partner delivery riders or apps.
You can make it customizable. For example, create a menu with prices and they can choose the food and the amount that they want to include in their basket. You just have to prepare it based on their orders and send it to their home, then you get your money. As easy as that! Just set up your Facebook page or any social media platform where customers can reach you.
5. Bungeoppang
Since we are all into Korean food, there’s another food that Filipinos want to try but can’t easily find. That’s Bungeoppang- a Korean fish-shaped waffle with filling inside. Here in my city, no one was selling it, no matter how hard I tried searching for it. Bungeoppang is very easy to make. It’s just like making pancakes. There are fish waffle makers sold on Shopee and they are affordable. You can get started by selling online and in your neighborhood. Since you’re the first one to sell it, you can higher the price. Think of it as a monopoly. Since you’re the first seller in your neighborhood, you can monopolize the prize. Just make sure that your filling is super delicious so that the customers will be satisfied and they want to keep coming back.
6. Gyoza
Gyoza is a Japanese dumpling that is so delicious but only a few sellers sell them and usually, only in Japanese restaurants. Several frozen food suppliers sell gyoza. So, that is perfect because you don’t have to make it from scratch. If there are no Gyoza sellers around your area, then getting into this small business will be a good choice. Simply find a supplier, open a small store in your house or front yard, get your steamer out, and start selling gyoza. The nosy neighbors will keep on coming to buy your newest product. Make use of your marketing skills and tell them about Gyoza as a Japanese food.
7. Vietnamese pizza
The common American pizza is already very famous in the Philippines and is also almost like a street food with some tiny stalls on the street selling pizza. Therefore, going for something unique will make people line up to try it.
So instead of dough, Vietnamese pizza uses rice paper as its base and you can top it with egg, some herbs, meat, or anything that you’d like. You can invent your toppings set to make it unique. Start it in your neighborhood and share it on social media, and in no time, it will be viral and people will start coming.
8. Vietnamese egg coffee
Filipinos are addicted to coffee. Even in scorching hot weather, we still drink coffee so it’s no question that the coffee business is booming. But what will make you unique is by selling Vietnamese egg coffee. You can easily search for the recipe online and give it a try. Once you perfect it, market it on social media and people will come to you to try this coffee.
9. Farm-to-table business
Filipinos believe that freshly picked vegetables, when cooked taste magical! We always hear our parents saying, “Oh, this tastes good because it was fresh when I cooked it,”. So if you have a farm, of any kind, whether fruits, vegetables, or livestock, you can make a restaurant near it and give your customers a harvesting experience where they will harvest their own ingredients, and then your staff will cook it for them, and soon, they’re eating the delicious dishes that they harvested themselves.
This makes their dining experience extra special and they know that the food they’re eating is fresh.
10. Open kitchen restaurant
I once heard from a friend that most food business owners go to other countries to look at the open kitchen and get some ideas for cooking. Here in the Philippines, open kitchens are not common so getting into this type for your restaurant could be a game changer. You can simply set a day in a week where you’ll have an open kitchen and a lot of people would come especially the local vloggers who want to film the sneak peeks of the restaurant. That’s how you get your business out there.
Conclusion
Overall, you need to check what people are craving and looking for, then check whether that food is available in your area or not. If there are zero to few sellers, then go grab that opportunity! You’ll never know one things unless you try and innovation is always best.
