PANDEMIC MARKETING STRATEGIES OF SELECTED RESTAURANTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE PROVINCE OF LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

All restaurant businesses, most especially the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), struggled to survive during and after the pandemic. Business lessons and success patterns can be drawn from those who survived the pandemic. This descriptive research aims to find the specific challenges encountered by selected MSME restaurant owners and managers in the Province of Laguna during the pandemic and the strategies they used to maintain business profitability. An in-depth interview was conducted among seven selected MSME restaurant business owners and managers. Results showed that their challenges include price hike of food ingredients, stiff competition, marketing, delay in supplies deliveries and employee resignations. Respondents focused on food delivery and take-out services and took advantage of limited dine-in services once this was allowed. They relied heavily on online marketing in combination with other promotional activities. Effective use of marketing mix and sound management decisions in the proper allocation of resources partially met the marketing challenges brought by the pandemic. This study recommends that MSME restaurant owners and managers carefully examine other marketing strategies to directly respond to market challenges and ensure that their products and services are positioned to meet their customers’ specific needs.