Who is doing things right? And it can be a company with a future in this changing market. This is the most difficult question that I have been asked this year because the Colombian market today is a new beast with teeth very different from those it had 5 or 10 years ago and making any prediction is to take out the crystal ball to make it shine.
But knowing that the same store sales have fallen, traffic has been weak for the past two years, competition has intensified, the cost of leasing on the premises is through the roof, higher taxes, the labor cost has risen, some Consumers simply do not enter if they do not have a discount coupon, costs of remodeling premises, new technologies and high rates of deliveries charged by third parties. The initial question is more valid than ever because what we really want to know is which value proposition is better prepared for this new market and that if it is not an exercise in speculation that I am interested in doing.
The first thing in my approach is to make clear that my concept is a response biased by my experience as a buyer, by the studies I have done these years, I do not speak of the turnover by brand, nor comment the financial statements of the companies and I use some criteria Measures that I will explain later, for which I ask you not to believe everything written here and be very critical of my point of view to continue learning from all of you who constantly encourage me to continue doing the work that I love.
My attention and many other people have been attracted in recent years by the concept of fair price that is very different from the pure and simple discount, we have observed as the proposals of lunches or dinners in the price ranges of $ 10,000 – $ 15,000 pesos ( USD 3.33 – USD 5.00) and breakfasts, between meals or other options in the price ranges of $ 4,000 – $ 6,000 (USD 1.33 – USD 2.00) are very popular options because they adjust to a majority possibility in the local consumer, so which fair price will be one of the five criteria to be used, to try to define which new concept or small company has the best opportunities to continue growing under the current market restrictions. In this list are not companies already consolidated with high billings and highly recognized in the national and international market, because on this I will talk in another post, we all want to talk about what is not yet on the radar of the majority.
Time is money and for restoration is everything, because when people visit a place they want their purchase to be ready as soon as possible, a delay between entering and taking the order, between the order and the delivery or between asking for the account and get the changes It is fatal to evaluate the shopping experience. Time will be the second criterion to qualify and we have observed that when purchasing experiences for lunches or dinners is in less than 30 minutes with the store full, the guest qualifies this point in an outstanding manner and considers the service excellent. This time is measured from when the person enters until leave the premises, in the case of a meal in a kiosk, a coffee bar, a buffet or a food court the time limit is 15 minutes.
While qualifying food as product is very subjective, about the taste I will not talk, but the temperature, the quantity and the presentation against direct competitors is possible. Also in this standard we will measure the products availability expose in the menu.
Everything enters through your eye, that’s why the facilities where a restaurant operates and the impeccable employee’s presentation are an active part of the gastronomic proposal. The cleanliness of the place, a good furniture, a few amenities organized and well-presented are essential to make the clients feel comfortable in their visit and to spend their money in the same place.
The environment is also subjective, but there are three measurable things that impact the shopping experience. One is the smells; the most important thing is that the place does not smell bad. The temperature is very relative, but as long as it is not a very cold or very hot place everything is fine. Finally there is music and there are places that do not have it, which does not mean that it should have, the important thing of the music is that if it exists it fits the place proposal and the volume does not interrupt the communication between people.
Let’s approach the subject, the rating will be made in stars and more the stars, a better rating has a proposal. The highest rating is five.
Dai Quei Matti
Two friends one Italian and the other Colombian with reality principle, love for cooking and good taste created a pizzeria with a wood oven, which is part of his secret. The incredible thing is that here you can find the pizza that you can imagine or the one you dreamed of, since they are 9 years of stories in Bogotá through 6 restaurants each place is better than the previous one.
Cheers
Well, if you are in Valle del Cauca, do not hesitate and block the afternoon with your friends to eat pizza and good beers, in a very nice place without feeling that you spent a fortune. This project that started 7 years ago has 22 restaurants and offers the perfect meeting place for families and friends.
Parrillisimo
If you are like me, keep working the whole week in the street, you are tired of the badly served executive menu, fast food is not an option, you have to take care of the expenses and you are in Bogotá south or west, not doubt this buffet of less than $ 10,000 pesos is a champion, you eat in real dishes, has balanced options and have everything to choose from. The incredible thing is that they started as a roast chicken place called Braserisimo, but they quickly adjusted their offer to the needs of the client who visited them.
Casa Lily
The best example of which in the corrientazo is not competed with price, these restaurants are in Cali and in food courts. They only operate from Monday to Friday at lunch time, they are a very generous option where you decide what to eat and they deliver you immediately. The proposal is well balanced, they offer healthy food and for the price paid they give you: entrance, soup, main dish, drink and dessert.
Probocaitos
Who said that the local bakery was boring and was not subject to innovation. If you want to eat something new and feel proud of the Colombian culinary culture, please try a snack of what you want and you will realize that the future of the restoration can be in our own home. The stores are 12 and although they started south of Bogotá, it is possible that at any moment you will find a new store near you because they are offering franchises.
Salchichas Típicas Alemanas
A German guy story who came to Colombia with one hand in front and another behind, work in all, was a teacher and by those life coincidences one day they hired him to cook in an event, everything is gone and guess what is left, the sausages for the support team. But surprise what they liked was something he learned many years ago as a child in his native country and realized that we are all tired of fast food limited options, but if at the end of the day you wants to try something different and know where the fast casual concept was born visit any of these small houses.
Coctel del Mar
Despite the sea food tax creation in the latest tax reform, sea food should not be expensive and these restaurants are the best example, not to mention that the good table service and their team are very helpful. If you want to eat in Bogotá some good prawns or a salmon, do not hesitate to visit them.
Home Burgers
If you love hamburgers as I do, you have to visit any of 6 restaurants in Bogotá. In this place you will feel at home, the music is great you will have the certainty of consuming a very high quality fresh meat burger. They are the best example that less is more for the simplicity of its menu and the integrality of its fast casual proposal.
El Gran Caldas
This is one of those pleasing local cuisine discoveries that you did not know existed and that is extremely popular in our south nation capital. Trying to buy at one of these restaurants on weekends is a very calm process, because it is an extremely family popular option of a rice paisa style, attention because it is not a calentado, it is not a bandeja paisa, it is not a rice with chicken, it’s nothing that you know or have tried. It could be said that it is a popular and local fast casual.
Chef Burger
It is one of the best places if you are looking for a space to meet with friends, not to mention that all semesters they present a new burger that I love and every time I enter they make me feel like a house friend. Maybe one thing that hits me the most when I go is that they never ask you for a tip, they never include it in your bill, but the service is so good, one is so satisfied, so you make sure to leave a good tip.
Alitas Colombianas
http://www.alitascolombianas.com.co/
Let’s not tell ourselves lies, we are consumers who love chicken and eating good chicken wings or colombinas and in the current chicken restaurants is not cheap. Well, these entrepreneurs understood the market and made a variety flavors proposal, so winning that now you can eat wings and colombinas any week day, at any time at a very affordable price and in a nice place with table service.
Tostao
The crazy thing about this concept, which is growing at a great speed, is that we are in a coffee country and with so many bakeries, nobody thought of this idea before, because the price is fair, it is a democratized proposal of a good coffee with a wide bread portfolio, without having to depend on one baker per store and where all people from all economic levels want to enter.
Primos
What can I say after having been part of this team and concept, is a company that reinvented constantly for their clients and is one of the best things that have happened to me professionally. From my passionate point of view about this place, I can only say that if you want to have an attention with someone around a table this is the restaurant. You will find many things that will make you fall in love, the food is spectacular, the portions are generous, the products used are high quality and healthy, the people are warm, the atmosphere is pleasant, we like jazz and we are proudly caleños.
Mister Wings
Another company from Cali that awakens my professional affections, good eating is also part of the company DNA and is like me you get to your grandmother house, where the portions are generous. Perhaps what impresses me the most is that they have one of the broadest menus in the Colombian market, everything comes quickly to the table and there is no bad dish. Not to mention the cheerful atmosphere of the sport bar where you will surely end up watching some sports event with friends and family.
Sierra Nevada
The key to this proposal is to provide a good burger, chips and shake combo at the right price, through restaurants with their own dining room strategically located in the city of Bogotá.
El Carnal
They are the best example that Mexican fast food is an option to exploit in Colombia and they have already 20 years giving us an example through more than 20 restaurants located in Bogotá.
Bodegas BBC
By surprise they showed us that beer lovers wanted much more than a corner or a neighborhood store and they gave us a place where we found a cold drink, in the company of friends, a pleasant atmosphere and good music.
Cosechas
http://www.cosechasexpress.com/
Its rapid growth showed us that we love fruits and from their early learning they have rationalized their stores, optimized their gastronomic offer and have taught us a variety of juices that we did not know existed.
Note: if you want to see the rating of each of the criteria evaluated in each of the brands shown here, call me and invite me for a coffee.