Trini’s changing eating habits take a bite out of food industry

From left, chef Christopher Saunders, executive chef Eduardo Frausto Cornish and food and beverage manager Juliana Alleyne, display a slow roasted suckling pig at the Oktoberfest buffet opening night at Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann's, for TT Restaurant Week on September 26. - Faith Ayoung

PEOPLE are being more careful about their spending when it comes to food, leaving the industry in a state one food writer describes as “erratic.”

Newsday spoke to a few people in Port of Spain about what they usually had for lunch and what they buy when they go out to eat.

One woman said she simply cannot afford to buy meals. In fact, it is the main reason she only eats breakfast and dinner, which she prepares herself. And most of the time, as she is usually tired after working all day, dinner was cheap, easy and filling like packaged ramen, pasta or potatoes.

If she does manage to buy a meal, she said, it will be because the establishment has a special deal.

“You know they say, ‘cook at home,’ but it's just as expensive. Because you go to the supermarket and when you buy this stuff, yes, it may not be for one meal, but at the same time, you end up spending like $500 for rice, or pasta or potatoes, some peas and some kind of meat or protein, and it adds up. It's just as expensive as eating out! It's a no win situation.”

A vendor sells produce in the Arima Market on October 11. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle

One man said food is just too expensive, so he looks out for whatever is cheap and tasty. If he has little money, he buys doubles, pies, egg balls or pholourie for lunch. When he has a bigger budget he gets curry, KFC, creole cuisine or Chinese food. Even then, he goes to the restaurant that gives him the most food.

A woman told Newsday said she usually cooks and brings food from home for lunch for financial reasons as well as the lack of variety at food establishments near her office. She may buy junk food or creole food twice per week, but tries for creole first as, generally, there are more items to choose from and she gets more food for the price.

In addition, if she does not feel to cook on a Saturday, she visits a mall food court or food hub like Woodbrook Yard, where all the members of her family could get something different if they chose.

Another man said he regularly brings lunch from home in an effort to eat healthy, but he occasionally buys convenient food like barbecue or creole. For dinner, if his wife does not cook, he either seeks out new experiences or something he already really likes.

He avoids food delivery services due to cost and instead explores restaurants highlighted by food influencers on Instagram. Still, he avoids overly formal settings and prioritises finding affordable, interesting places that are family-friendly and offer a relaxed atmosphere so his children will be comfortable.

Food writer and media entrepreneur Franka Philip believed several factors have affected the local food industry, and most were economic. The price of food has increased, people want “bang for their buck,” a lot of people lost their jobs this year, and some are tired of the same old thing.

These factors have especially affected food courts at plazas and malls, where many stalls have closed down or changed hands.

However, courtyards like Woodbrook Yard and Food Square are still heavily frequented, especially on weekends, but business is not as it was before covid19. She said some restaurant owners complain their establishments are sometimes empty and other times they have a full house.

Some established places still have a substantial following because the quality is consistent. On Sundays, people flock to certain creole establishments for lunch after attending church. And although the food is expensive, they know what they will get in terms of options.

People patronise Hart of Suya at Eddie Hart Grounds Food Court, Tacarigua, on October 10. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle

Street food remains popular. Places like the Food Strip in the Queen’s Park Savannah, Eddie Hart Grounds in Tacarigua, Cross Crossing in South, behind Price Plaza on Endeavour Road in Central or Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook are still well-frequented, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.

“I think it's more than one thing. I think, one, it's people's consciousness of their pockets. Two, there's prices. Three, to some degree, some people may feel a little unsafe to go out. And four, options. They could be tired going to the same old places. They probably want new places to go, new tastes and experiences.

“It's a little schizophrenic, in a way. I think, since covid, people have gotten to this stage where maybe they think, ‘Well, I can just pick up food and eat at home. I don't have to go out. Going out is expensive.’ But a lot of people still do their special events or occasions at restaurants, or reserve their spending for weekends.”

She said, at the end of the day, people who have money will go out to eat and people will continue going out for special occasions.

But the customer is not the only one with challenges.

Philip noticed popular establishments, those with better quality and output, often have consistent staff.

“We may be beginning to see the impact of not having the Hospitality Institute, which would have provided a lot of stuff for the industry had it not closed. And one of the big complaints about food and restaurants and the entertainment sector is finding staff who would work consistently. And that is always going to be a problem for smaller businesses, where they might not pay as well.”

Owners also have challenges like finding an accessible location with parking nearby, reasonable rent, creating an atmosphere customers enjoy and giving consistent good service.

“It's green shoots in some places and brown patches in others. But I think the whole industry needs to do a little work to get people back to dining. They really have to establish an identity that is strong enough for it to be front of mind for people when it comes to going out to eat. It's not as though you're open and automatically people will come. You have to continue the marketing.”

People flock to Eddie Hart Grounds Food Court, Tacarigua, on a Friday evening. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle

Shira Mohammed, founder of Restaurant Week TT and managing director of Bee Marketing and Events said while there have been more restaurants since the pandemic, customers have shifted away from fine-dinning.

“Post-covid we saw the emergence of a lot of restaurants. And we also saw a shift from premium style dining restaurants to more family-style restaurants and sports bars. So casual dining is definitely more popular now.”

With the 13th edition of Restaurant Week just ending on October 5, she also noticed people did not rush to restaurants as they did last year.

She believes people were more mindful with their spending and so chose to frequent new restaurants, or restaurants offering new menu items for Restaurant Week. She believes people who considered themselves foodies were focused on their taste palettes and experiencing different types of cuisine, but on a budget.

Food courtyards and street food hubs, she said, are great places to get fusion cuisine, which Trinidadians love. People stop there on a daily basis but they are extremely busy on Fridays and weekends. She said the food speaks to our unique culture, and the hubs are convenient with something for everyone.

“Street food for us is local. It’s our roots. It’s back-to-basics and affordable, tasty, home-cooked style, and that’s what we like.

“And not only are we shying away from high-end restaurants but we are specifically going towards the types of places where there is communal dining and variety in a centralised location.”

Mohammed added that food delivery services are now an integral part of most food establishments. It became popular during the pandemic, filling a need at the time, but people got accustomed to the convenience, even though it is not cheap. So those who can afford it continue to use it.