For a while, the brightly-lit food parks in Metro Manila were the sight to be seen. But trend spotters suspect the popularity of the millenial-driven food hubs has peaked.
What are food parks?
Food parks are the perfect place for drinks with friends or a quick and nearby food trip. Over the past year, they cropped up all over the metropolis, serving up a whole host of cuisines in one place, so you can order and share as you like.
They're usually al fresco dining, open until late in the evening, and there's sure to be a food park near anywhere, waiting for you to visit.
The food park hype
When I saw (one of) the first food park set up shop in Quezon City (I think sometime last quarter of 2015), the parked customer vehicles along the road were a kilometer long. The wait time for tables takes about an hour.
But now, the line of cars are shorter, and one can even grab a seat without having to fight for it with other food addicts. Has the food park fever passed? Did they ride the wave too quick -- their surfboards hitting the beach?
The food parks may not be as flashy as your favorite restaurant who has kept their place in the food wars secure, but they stood out, mainly in the millenial market. Many of them have inspired cult-like devotion among the younger consumers, or skyrocketed in sales in the midst of the fad.
In 2016, the rise in popularity of food parks was followed by multiple food parks in most places within Quezon City and in other cities. The demand for vacant lots for food parks increased by more than 10 times in Metro Manila in that same year.
Over time they began to offer more cuisines, from Mexican to Thai to Indian dishes. With what they have to offer, no wonder they had a hold on the local millenial audience for quite some time.
But rapid popularity led to many ripoff versions. Lots of enterprising people danced with the fad even when the food they served were below satisfactory. Then there's overpricing. Many faddish food hubs tend to sell their wares at prices higher than those you would find at a local restaurant.
In contrast, while the craze passes, business in some food parks remains steady. While they aren't as crowded as they used to be, the crowd of its heyday arrives during weekends. In a working day, when I and my family had dinner at a nearby food park, there were lesser activity. But one Saturday evening when we visited again, the number of customers were plenty.
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