When executed properly, restaurants with unique concepts experience high traction and profits. They even become go-to tourist destinations.
Unique Restaurant Concepts that Gained Worldwide Attention
In 2019, there were 95,708 establishments in the Philippines’ foodservice industry, of which 54,499 were restaurants, cafes, and bars. That’s a lot of competition!
That means you need to do your best to stand out. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make a name for your business in the foodservice industry. You could start a unique marketing campaign, like large chains do all the time.
Just use Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino from a few years ago as an example—they created a vibrant, flavor-changing themed drink with a strong concept, promoted it heavily on social media, and created a huge buzz around the new product.
The result? They sold out of the Unicorn Frappucino across the country.
You don’t need to do something on this scale (or budget) to stand out, though. Even coupons or deals are simple, easy ways to bring in new customers to try your cuisine.
But one of the best ways to really stand out from the crowd is to start with a unique restaurant concept. Offering an exceptional experience that few others have can draw huge amounts of attention. If it’s really unique, it could even go viral. Then you may even have people making pilgrimages from other cities just to check out your concept.
In this article, we take a look at some of the most interesting and successful restaurant concepts from around the world. By learning from these remarkable dining spaces, you just might find the inspiration you need for your own business.
1. A Changing Roster of Chefs: Chefs Club
To start with, let’s look at a concept that shakes up one of the foundations of the kitchen—the chef!
Founded in 2012, Chefs Club’s claim to fame is its rotating roster of top international chefs. The restaurant’s guest chefs take over the kitchen for a couple of nights at a time, allowing diners to sample signature dishes from a wide variety of culinary experts.
The restaurant also has a residency program that allows chefs to take over the kitchen for 3-6 months at a time.
2. A Covert Experience: Safehouse
Don’t be afraid to go all-in with a cool theme. Just look at Safehouse!
This spy-themed restaurant positions itself as a covert safehouse for international men and women of mystery. You have to enter a password at the entrance to get inside and whisper code words from their social media to access their different promos.
Menu items are themed after spy gadgets and, of course, famous James Bond references. There’s even a huge wall of spy memorabilia that the founder himself collected over the years.
3. Pet-Friendly Fare: MUTTS Canine Cantina
Cat and dog cafes have been increasing in popularity the last few years, and it seems like every food hub in the Metro Manila area has had its own at some point.
But what about cafes where you can actually bring your own pet and let them dine there too? That’s the premise behind MUTTS Canine Cantina, an off-leash dog park cafe that has menu items for both bipeds and quadrupeds. The restaurant even lets you throw a 7th birthday “pawty” for your dog.