THE NUMBER of restaurant businesses in the city who registered their establishments in 2024 increased by 5.5% compared to last year.
In an interview with Madayaw Davao, Maribel Paguican, head of the Business Bureau, said the office registered a total of 1,241 businesses who applied for permits this year, an increase from 1,176 applicants in 2023.
“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.
A total of 1,083 out of the 1,241 applicants, have already been issued permits, while the remaining 158 are still in the process of complying with the necessary documents.
She stressed the restaurant business in the city has recovered from the pandemic as reflected in the data.
To note, in the height of the pandemic in 2020-2021, the bureau recorded an almost 11 percent decrease in restaurant business renewals.
Compared to 2020, where 1,013 restaurant businesses applied for permits, only 891 were logged in 2021.
However, in 2022, the office recorded at least a 20 percent increase with 1,070 applications.
Strict health protocols during the pandemic, she stressed, was a contributing factor to the decline in the number of restaurant businesses, where consumers rely heavily on food delivery hailing apps.
Meanwhile, she said despite the increase in the number, at present, businesses are affected by the existence of pop-up food stalls, mobile food stalls, and night markets.
Paguican added that they continue to coordinate with other government agencies such as the Davao City Tourism Operations Office for a revision of imposed fees for tourism accreditation to address issues raised by the industry.
File photo by Bing Gonzales
