Streamlining operations and best practices in the restaurant industry: A catalyst for business expansion

This research delves into the business operations, profiles, challenges, and best practices of homegrown restaurants in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The study used a qualitative research design, conducting interviews with restaurant owners or managers to gather data. The findings reveal that restaurants in Nueva Ecija display significant variability in aspects such as the number of branches, years of operation, and registration status. Most restaurants tend to lean towards a corporation business model, prioritize local sourcing of ingredients, and heavily utilize word-of-mouth promotion (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Challenges encountered in the operational phase mainly revolve around staffing issues, budget management, and adapting to customer preferences (Perry, 2001). Successful practices involve treating personnel as family, maintaining good customer relationships, and effective financial management (Kusluvan et al., 2010; Liu & Jang, 2009). The study concludes that robust entrepreneurial qualities, technical skills, and an excellent understanding of market trends contribute significantly to the restaurants’ success. The research adds depth to the existing literature on small-scale restaurant operations and contributes insights that can aid future entrepreneurial endeavors in the food industry (Parsa et al., 2005).