Chapter 1

Introduction

Problem and its Setting

A health food restaurant can be defined as an eating establishment that

prioritizes the provision of nutritious and balanced meals, often characterized by

the incorporation of fresh, minimally processed, and organic ingredients into its

menu offerings (Mintel, 2019). These restaurants strive to create a dining

experience that aligns with contemporary health and wellness trends, catering to

individuals seeking nourishing options that support their physical and mental

vitality.

Health food restaurants, often characterized by their commitment to

providing nutritious and balanced meals, extend their influence far beyond

individual consumer choices. These establishments advocate for culinary

practices that prioritize fresh, minimally processed, and sustainably sourced

ingredients, aligning with the principles of public health and environmental

sustainability on a global scale (Davis & Smith, 2018; Turner et al., 2021).

Recent academic studies conducted offer a comprehensive insight into the

multifaceted challenges faced by health food restaurants operating

internationally. Yang and Kim's research (2022) investigates the intricate process

of cultural adaptation and localization, exploring how health food chains navigate

diverse cultural contexts while maintaining their core health-focused values.

Wang and Chan (2020) delve into the complexities of ensuring a

sustainable global supply chain for health food restaurants, emphasizing their
critical role in promoting environmental responsibility and sustainable ingredient

sourcing.

Petrova and Ivanov's study (2019) scrutinizes the regulatory hurdles

encountered by health food restaurants expanding across international borders,

highlighting the importance of harmonizing global food safety and labeling

standards.

Brown and García's analysis (2023) explore the influence of international

food trends on consumer preferences, elucidating how global movements such

as plant-based diets and ethical sourcing shape the demand for health-focused

dining options across diverse international markets.

Collectively, these studies provide a holistic understanding of the

international challenges and opportunities that define the landscape of health

food establishments worldwide, encompassing cultural adaptation, supply chain

sustainability, regulatory compliance, and the impact of global food trends on

consumer choices.

Health food restaurants in the Philippines encounter distinct challenges

and opportunities driven by cultural, economic, and social factors. Notably,

Santos et al.'s study (2020) highlights the importance of cultural adaptation and

preferences, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between promoting

health-conscious options and catering to the unique culinary tastes of Filipinos.

Lopez and Cruz's research (2019) delves into the complexities of sourcing

sustainable ingredients in a country known for its rich biodiversity, shedding light

on the environmental considerations and supply chain challenges specific to the

Philippines. Gomez and Reyes (2021) contribute insights into the vital role of

consumer awareness and education in driving the success of health food

restaurants, emphasizing the need for effective communication and public

education campaigns.

Furthermore, regulatory aspects are addressed by the Department of

Health's guidelines (2018), underscoring the importance of a balanced approach

that supports both public health and the growth of health food restaurants within

the Philippine market.

In the vibrant culinary landscape of General Santos City, health food

restaurants have emerged as crucial players. However, amidst the pursuit of

promoting well-being through gastronomy, these establishments grapple with a

myriad of marketing challenges of promoting their business that intricately involve

the fundamental components of the marketing mix, famously known as the 4P's –

Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Understanding and overcoming these

challenges is imperative for the sustained growth and visibility of health food

restaurants in this dynamic market.

This qualitative research seeks to delve into the nuanced of promotional

challenges faced by health food restaurants in General Santos City, unraveling

the complexities within each 'P' of the marketing mix. By doing so, the study aims

to provide actionable insights that can guide marketing strategies, fostering the

growth and sustainability of health-focused dining establishments.

Literature Review

The literature review serves as the foundation upon which this qualitative

research study is constructed. In this section, we embark on a comprehensive

journey through the existing body of knowledge and research that informs our

investigation. The purpose of the literature review is to establish the context for

our study, identify gaps in the current understanding, and provide a critical

framework for interpreting our qualitative findings.

Promotional Challenges

Navigating the intricate landscape of promotional challenges is integral to

the success of businesses, especially in the dynamic environment of health food

restaurants. This qualitative study delves into the complexities encountered by

health food establishments, focusing on the fundamental elements of the

marketing mix known as the 4Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

Unveiling the nuances of these challenges is crucial for devising effective

strategies that resonate with the target audience. Academic studies shed light on

the intricacies within each P, such as the research by Smith et al. (2018) which

explores the dilemmas in crafting wellness-centric products, Brown and Davis

(2019) addressing the challenges of aligning prices with perceived value in

health-focused menus, and Johnson (2020) delving into the nuances of placing

healthful products in the local market amidst potentially shifty demand. By

grounding our qualitative exploration in the insights offered by these studies, we

aim to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of marketing challenges,

offering actionable strategies for health food establishments in an ever-evolving

market.

Product

The first 'P,' Product, refers to the unique offerings of health food

restaurants, which extend beyond taste to encompass nutritional value,

freshness, and sourcing ethics. Academic studies such as the work of Brown and

Green (2019) delve into the challenges associated with crafting and

communicating these health-centric product offerings, emphasizing the

importance of clear messaging and differentiation strategies.

Based on Melissa (2022) Making plant-based low-calorie menus extra

exciting to a broader customer base is one of the challenges of the health food

restaurant business in terms of product, many excellent and creative chefs create

diverse, healthy menus. However, when people think of plant-based or low-

calorie food, they immediately think – bland and no variety. Prominent findings on

studies regarding consumers eating patterns show that people will make

healthier choices if presented in a certain way.

Plant-based foods are prone to spoilage, sometimes more so than their

meat and dairy counterparts. Krystle Morrison (2021) explained that Plant-based

food consumers also tend to support clean label ingredients, sustainability, and

minimizing food waste and they have a preference for food that’s convenient and

easy to prepare. All these considerations complicate the already challenging task

of improving the safety of plant-based products. Kerry Sim (2020) highlighted that

plant-based foods often include a long list of ingredients that introduce a wide
variety of bacteria into the mix. To combat this, Kerry recommends planning for

food safety early in the formulation process, being mindful of the impact of each

ingredient as the product moves down the line.

Price

Prices in health food restaurants face the delicate task of positioning

themselves in a market where premium ingredients often incur higher costs.

Research by Johnson et al. (2020) discusses the intricacies of pricing strategies

in the health food industry, outlining the balancing act required to maintain

affordability while justifying the premium associated with healthier alternatives.

Cost is one of the challenges of the health food restaurant business. Healthy

restaurant menus typically offer lots of fresh produce, local meat, and poultry and

may be costly.

Increasing costs of acquiring ingredients, labor, equipment, etc. are a

major issue for restaurants. On top of all this, the fluctuating market introduces

the challenge of constantly recalculating menu costing and adjusting yield.

Combined with diminishing profit margins, these rising expenses make running a

successful restaurant business incredibly challenging. Restaurants may push

some of these added costs onto their customers, but not all of them, meaning

they must bear most of the losses. Reversing diminishing profits and lowering

operational costs are two of the most urgent problems that must be addressed

(Savor, 2022).

According to Khachatryan (2023) Managing food costs and determining

the prices for menu items is one of the greatest challenges restaurants faces.
 The key objective barriers to healthy eating were market and financial

factors (high price of healthy products, low financial availability), social factors

(negative influence of social networks), childhood food education, and origin and

tradition. The perception that healthy products have high prices was the top

barrier (Sogari et. al., 2018).

Place

Place involves the distribution channels and accessibility of health food

restaurants. Literature by Smith and Davis (2018) explores the significance of

strategic location decisions and the challenges posed by the need for visibility in

a city's culinary landscape. Potentially shifty demand in the local market is one of

the challenges of health food restaurant businesses in terms of Place. Running a

restaurant business involves industry risks, particularly when running a healthy

restaurant. Caution should be considered seriously to determine if there is a

consistent demand for a healthy menu in your local market. Consumer habits are

constantly shifting, not only due to trends but due to economic conditions too. It is

a very appealing concept, but if there is not enough market research to identify a

potential customer base to support your business, business owners may likely

run into spending issues. Melissa (2022)

Individual places of origin and food traditions were also discussed as

objective barriers to a healthy diet. For example, some participants mentioned

that they consume a high amount of food during holidays or festivities at home

(e.g., Christmas and Easter holidays). As a result, the high intake of traditional

foods (appetizers, first course, second course, side dish, dessert, etc.) could
contribute to a high caloric intake. During these festivities or other family reunion

occasions people tend to eat unhealthy food (e.g., fried food) due to tradition and

habits (Amore et. al., 2019).

Promotion

Promotion plays a critical role in creating awareness and driving foot

traffic. Academic work by Kim and White (2021) examines the effectiveness of

promotional strategies, highlighting the importance of leveraging digital platforms

and social media to reach health-conscious consumers.

Based on Melissa (2022) competition is one of the challenges of health

food restaurant business in terms of promotion.

Finding a balance between selling enough products to capture consumer

attention and still harnessing the power of the brand is crucial (Bradley, 2023).

One of the biggest restaurant marketing challenges is managing and optimizing a

restaurant’s online presence. (Khachatryan, 2023)

According to Voicu (2020), one of the main issues facing the restaurant

industry is reaching more people online without giving their money away to food

delivery portals. These portals may pose as the restaurants’ friends, but they

take a lot of commissions and control every aspect of the transaction.

The leading personal or subjective barriers to healthy eating identified by

the participants included personal and intrinsic barriers, a lack of dietary

information, and time constraints (Velez-Toral et. al., 2020). Social and peer

networks were cited as both barriers to, and facilitators of healthy eating. The

influence of social media (i.e., Instagram, Facebook) was perceived as having a

negative effect. This highlights that social effects, especially from peers

(including friends, acquaintances, and partners) are important in real-life or virtual

social platforms (e.g., Instagram followings, Facebook friends) (Hawkins et. al.,

2020).

Theoretical Framework

This study, titled "Promoting Revitalized Health-Conscious Dining: Driving

the Growth and Visibility of Health Food Restaurants in General Santos City,"

aims to establish a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding and

formulating strategies of health food restaurants within the city. The figure serves

as an illustrative representation of the research framework, which delineates the

investigation's key objectives which first, the study seeks to identify the

promotional challenges of health food restaurants in relating to the 4P’s of

Marketing Mix which are the Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Through this

comprehensive framework, the research endeavors aim identify and formulate

effective strategies that health food restaurants can employ to overcome these

challenges and enhance their visibility and intends to provide valuable insights

and recommendations for promoting health-conscious dining establishments in

General Santos City.

Statement of the Problem
This study aims to determine the promotional challenges of health food

restaurants in General Santos City. Specifically, this study will answer the

following questions:

1. What are the challenges of health food restaurants in terms of promoting

their product?

2. What are the challenges of health food restaurants in terms of promoting

their business?

3. What are the challenges of health food restaurants in terms of promoting

their product in setting their price?

4. What are the challenges of health food restaurants in terms of promoting

their business when it comes to accessibility of their physical store?

Scope and Delimitation

This study aims to determine the promotional challenges in relating the

4P’s of marketing mix and also to formulate promotional strategies for health food

restaurants that have been active, registered and fully operating in 1-7 years

leading in driving their growth and visibility in General Santos City. This will take

place throughout the first semester and first term of the 2023–2024 academic

year, from the month of August to the month of December.

Significance of the Study

For the community, this study will seek to make a positive impact on the

community's overall well-being and lifestyle choices.

 For the researchers, this study will offer current insights into the methods

and approaches that businesses in this industry use to address their promotional

challenges and implement strategies.

For future researchers, information from this study can be used to find out

if there are any new ways or potential shifts in the industry's promotional

strategies, which could be crucial for enhancing and supporting such businesses

in the future.

For the business owners, this study will know how their competitors

approach their promotional strategies, giving them valuable insights into their

marketing efforts.

For the faculty staff, this research will assist faculty in expanding their

understanding of the challenges and strategies of health food restaurants. It will

highlight the obstacles related to promotional issues that hinder their progress

and growth. Additionally, this knowledge will enable faculty staff to educate and

support students who plan to venture into business in the future.

For the Local Government Unit, Local governments have an idea of how

restaurant owners manage their promotion, and this study can help them for

future references.

For the Aspiring businessmen, the study will benefit aspiring businesses by

collecting ideas and knowledge about how promotion can help improve business.
 Chapter 2
Methodology

This chapter covers the methods used to gather relevant information to

the study's problems. It indicates the selection of respondents, research

instruments, data gathering procedure, data analysis, and ethical considerations.

Research Design

This study is descriptive research. Descriptive research design is a type of

research design that aims to systematically obtain information to describe a

phenomenon, situation, or population. More specifically, it helps answer the what,

when, where, and how questions regarding the research problem rather than the

why. Voxco. (2021, September 29). It is an approach to qualitative research that

examines the promotional challenges and to formulate strategies for driving the

growth and visibility of health food restaurants in General Santos City.

The fundamental goal of the approach is to formulate a descriptive

analysis for the health food restaurant business. Through an in-depth interview, it

will examine how restaurant owners will utilize promotional challenges and

strategies as a tool to improve their businesses.

Selection of Respondents

The study was conducted in the locale of General Santos City. The

respondents of this study would be six chosen owners of each health food

restaurants located in General Santos City that are fully operational and active.
Research Instrument

To gather the necessary information to address the research problem, an

interview guide was used as a research tool. The survey consists of in-depth

interview questions. The questionnaire contains a series of questions about

promotional challenges facing the business in relating to the 4P’s of marketing

mix which are Product, Price, Place and Promotion.

The researchers used a systematic interview approach to complete this

study. They created an in-depth interview questionnaire using relevant and

credible sources such as literature and studies from trusted websites. The data

collected through interviews, and thematic analysis are used to analyze the data.

This enabled the researchers to evaluate the challenges that affect the product,

price, place and promotion of health food restaurants.

Data Gathering Procedure

The study was done in a specific manner in order to collect the information

needed to address the problem statement. Prior to interviews, focus groups and

observation, a literature review related to this study was gathered in order to

formulate questions. The researchers will verify the six health food restaurants if

they are active and fully operating and conduct in-depth interviews to obtain

information. Guide questions were validated by the professors to assess if the

questions were suitable for the respondents. This validation process aimed to

ensure that the questions were not only clear and comprehensible but also

aligned with the study's objectives and the respondents' experiences. The

validated guide questions served as a guide question during the interviews,

leading the researchers in exploring various dimensions of the health food

restaurant industry.

The information gathered through these interviews was carefully

documented, and responses to the guide questions served as the foundational

information for subsequent analysis. This will allow the researchers for a

nuanced exploration of the challenges faced by health food restaurants,

providing valuable strategies and insights for addressing the research problem

and contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics within this specific

sector of the dining industry.

Data Analysis

The process of interpreting and analyzing data from interviews involved

using Colaizzi's seven steps of phenomenological analysis, starting with (1)

reading the transcripts to become familiar with the data, (2) identifying important

statements and (3) meanings relevant to the phenomenon being studied, (4)

aggregating and clustering these meanings into common themes, (5) creating a

comprehensive description of the phenomenon, (6) condensing the description

into a brief statement, and finally, (7) validating the statement with participants for

feedback. This systematic approach ensured thorough and rigorous analysis of

the interview data. After that, the researchers will construct a descriptive

interpretation to rigorously evaluate and address the statement of the problem

pertaining to marketing challenges of health food restaurants. This pivotal step

involves synthesizing the qualitative information collected throughout the study,

including the identified promotional challenges. The creation of this descriptive

interpretation is essential as it will provide concrete recommendations for

marketing strategies that health food restaurants in General Santos City can

apply to bolster their growth and visibility.

Ethical Considerations

A consent form was presented during the conducting of the survey. Every

respondent in the study has the option to participate or not at any time. Before

they decide whether or not to participate, respondents must be aware of the

study's goals, advantages, risks, and funding.

This research will adhere to ethical principles, ensuring informed consent

from participants and the protection of their privacy should be obtained in order to

participate, and high standards of objectivity are upheld throughout the research

in discussions and assessments.

There should be absolutely no harm done to research volunteers in any

way, and priority should be given to preserving the dignity of research

participants and confidentiality must also be obtained during the conduct of the

study.
 Thoroughly review and
analyze all transcribed
interviews to comprehend
their meaning.

Returning for Transcribing all the

participants validation subjects description

Determine the
fundamental Formulate meanings
framework of the for each statement
phenomenon.

Produce a
comprehensive
Extract Significant
depiction of all the
Statements
data generated in steps
1 to 4.

Figure 2. Colaizzi’s Seven Step Method for Data Analysis