It's been a year since the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020 and people around the world are reminiscing that fateful moment.
Some are sharing their last photo before the pandemic started. Others can't believe how much has changed since.
In the Philippines, I remember the sense of panic when people realized that there was going to be a lockdown. It was the first of its kind and people had no idea what to expect.
Face masks ran out and many grocery shelves were cleared. Some people were too scared to enter big groceries and contented themselves with what they could find in specialty stores and elsewhere. But even the specialty shops could not guarantee the food supply. At the beginning, people were not sure if they would starve as the truck deliveries were also delayed or halted.
The experience felt so much like war time. A lot of restaurants also closed down. At the beginning, very few establishments could continue with take out operations.
One restaurant that was able to continue operations then was a Spanish restaurant chain in the Philippines known as Barcino.
They were innovative and offered a take out menu that could be completed at home. They had frozen ready to cook food items. They also offered a paella kit where diners could cook the dish at home in a few easy steps.
Aside from frozen meals, you could still order ready made food from the restaurant that seemed to taste better than when it was cooked at home.
The most interesting menu offering that I encountered was Barcino's lobster paella known as Paella Bogavante, at a time when the food supply chain was in crisis. It was a unique food experience.
There were other restaurant chains that also offered frozen meals and take out food. Some succeeded while others did not.
Flexibility in adapting to changing times and customer needs is key to survival. There were restaurants that offered party trays or take out meals that failed to attract the consumer.
Sometimes, you just need to offer a different experience that can be remembered for years to come. Barcino's Paella Bogavante surely did the trick. They delivered something out of the ordinary when no one else could.
