Thank you for an extremely interesting and useful comment! I can understand everything you have outlined. Testing things out is critical. Your year of adapting and changing things to suit the local market is very important. It takes a lot of courage to put aside your training and gut instincts and adapt to local expectations. This will however save you a tremendous amount of grief. Please keep us updated with how things go.

I have seen very many expat driven businesses fail because they did not recognize how important it was to adapt to local tastes and preferences. I have a good feeling about how you are going about things and wish you great success in your restaurant business! I’ve been in the food and beverage business here in the Philippines since 2002 and can honestly say that from what little you have written, I think you may be on the right track!

Please feel free to email me or send in more comments when you can. I’d really like to know how things progress for you and your business, Eddie.

Cheers!

I quickly caned my idea of retiring last year and moving to the Philippines. Instead I turned my home kitchen into the “Great Poney Test Kitchen” Reconizing that they have very different taste buds.

I am glad to say after one year of trial after trial i have found the perfect souces and menu for my hometown. Or so my little brother in law thinks. And on April 20th 2009 Balay Manok will open it’s doors. offering all you can eat chicken wings with nine tested and filippino APPROVED sauces. Chicken sandwitchs and chicken Tacos. Ohh and yes, Fish Tacos (When in Rome! LOL)

I look foreward to living in my wifes hometown close to her family that I have grown to love. And feeding the locals a meal they will enjoy, not one designed for western flavor.

Thanks for dropping by! Yes, it is a simple idea, but you’d be surprised by how many new business owners simply fail to recognize that their product isn’t going to work. They look at their product from a business owners perspective, and not a potential customer’s perspective. The results associated with failing to think like a customer first can be devastating.

Take care, Danny!

This is really a great point, if you yourself wouldn’t want to “shop” at your own store, or want the service you are providing…then not too many other people would either.

Especially in the food services area of business, just because something may be successful else where like the USA or another country, doesn’t mean it will be in the Philippines.

Daghang salamat ahong amigo,
Danny

You’re exactly right! Most small business owners have to work some magic — because they won’t usually land the best location, have the deepest of pockets, and have a management team that can spot problems almost immediately. As a result, a person needs to really make sure their product is something they themselves and others would find useful.

Thanks for dropping by!