CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Introduction

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering, and agriculture. Today, most of the food energy consumed by the world population is supplied by the food industry, which is operated by multinational corporations that use intensive farming and industrial agriculture to maximize system output. When people cook and eat they can delve into the origins and meaning of these foods which helps us to appreciate what a long twisted history it is. Here you will find in-depth history and short entries that makes food understandable as a part of material culture. Cuisine does not spring from nowhere. Cuisine develops as a part of material culture through the effort and love of real people who must provide food for their families. Here is where you will find out how its all connected, from the origin of spinach to the history of lemonade, how pirates influenced Mediterranean food and how polenta went from being the food of the poorest in the Mediterranean to the tables of the fanciest New York restaurants. In China, cooking is in this sense, the manipulation of these foodstuffs as basic ingredients. Since ingredients are not the same everywhere, Chinese food begins to assume a local character simply by virtue of the ingredients it uses. Obviously ingredients are not sufficient for characterization, but they are a good beginning. Compare, for example, the above list with one in which dairy products occupy a prominent place and one immediately comes upon a significant contrast between the two food traditions.

Background of the Study

A food stall is a business wherein you have a cart that sells street foods to the masses. This is very popular and very lucrative since Filipinos love street foods. Not to mention the fact that the masses would most likely buy food from the streets than from the restaurants where they can just eat the food anywhere as their merienda. Filipinos are known for this kind of food habit.

The reason why food stall business is growing in the Philippines, a lot of people started from just one food cart. They sell their own street foods as a starter for this industry and when they earned enough income to cover up the expenses of buying a new food cart, they will buy another food cart and will hire another person to sell their products. They will only get a portion of the income that will give the owner recurring money earned by the vendor. And so the original owner will have more income possibilities as he increase the number of food cart that he release and hire more people to sell. That is why we see a lot of food cart in the Philippines.

The City of Pasig is one of the city municipalities of Metro Manila in the Philippines and was the former capital of the province of Rizal prior to the formation of this grouping of cities designated as the National Capital Region. Pasig is primarily residential and industrial but has been becoming increasingly commercial in recent years. The old provincial capitol lies off of Shaw Boulevard, outside the city. Within is The Immaculate Conception Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Metro Manila, and Pasig is one of the three municipalities appointed by the diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Notable along Ortigas Avenue and E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C-5) Prominently Tiendesitas was located here, a shopping complex that can rival the worldrenowned Chatuchak market of Bangkok, Thailand. El-Pueblo, a colonial-themed commercial complex in Ortigas Center, provides new concept of cafes, restaurants and bars

The increasing number of food stalls, specifically in Tiendesitas, sparked our group interest to conduct a study regarding its operation and its success factor. The group wants to discern information regarding the percentage of success of each of the food stalls. The groups intention is to find solutions and answer questions which would not only be to our interest but to

the community as well. With this objective we hope to attain a more profound knowledge regarding the operation and success probability of the food stalls particularly in Tiendesitas at Pasig city.

Conceptual Framework

The theoretical framework of this study explains food stall designs and very good customer service, with the purchasing decision of the people which is also influenced their overall store image. Store image is built through many factors that a stall is composed of.

As Lindquist and Mazurky & Jacoby said, store image allows customers perception on the business to be built. Store design and very good customer service are only few attributes that influence the overall image of a store.

Store image not only includes the affordability of food prices, cleanliness of the place, food preparation and promotion, but store design and layout and very good customer service as well.

Store layout and design includes the wall color, table and chair set up, ambience, lighting and spacing. Thats why, store owners must also take into consideration their stores layout and design to build a good store image because store image allows businesses to gain more customers and receive positive purchasing response or decision. Not only that, owners must also train their employees on how to provide a very good customer service and know the principle of Customer is always right, that they must always smile and look friendly to the customers, if you can see, this is just a small thing that used to deprived by owners, but they must invest on this, to train their employees to have a positive outlook.

The framework states that how a customer perceives store designs and customer service in building store image has a relationship with their purchasing response. Good perceptions then affect purchasing behavior of a customer leading to a decision to eat or dine while a bad perception otherwise. This theoretical framework will be further proven by a thorough analysis

of the research survey. The independent variable is customers perception on the importance of store design and customer service and the dependent variable is their purchasing decision, store design and customer service itself being the intervening variable.

Perception on Stall designs and Customer Service and Importance in Building Store Image.

Stall Designs, layouts and very good customer service.

Purchasing Decision

Acknowledgement:

The Research Paradigm

The diagram shows the flow of the research process. The research will be divided into three areas namely: input, process and output. The input column includes the data that will be given by the managers, employees and customers. The process column, on the other hand, includes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the food stalls business. Lastly, the output will include the success factors of food stall salon business.

INPUT
Hired qualified workers Good leadership Provide quality services Be prepared to dedicate time and energy to the business Be flexible and willing to change keep customer happy keep yout focus review your business

PROCESS
STRENGTHS Accesibility of the stall Affordable Prices Quality Service Quality of products Highly competitive employees Comfortability WEAKNESSES Obsolete Technology High rental fee Locked up with one supplier Highly competitive employees Low-quality products Pricey products Sanitation OPPORTUNITIES Attract investors Expand and have a different branches Create new products Big-scale food stall THREATS Amount of competitors Diseases derived from certain virusinfected animals Varying amount of demand for commodities Spoilage of food (loss in profit)

OUTPUT
A successful food stall

Statement of the Problem

This study will determine the factors of success of food stalls in Tiendesitas, Pasig City. It will seek answers to the following questions:

1. What are the strengths of food stall businesses? 2. What are the weaknesses of food stall businesses? 3. What are the opportunities in putting up food stall businesses?

4. What are the threats in putting up food stall businesses? 5. What are the marketing strategies used by food stall businesses? 6. Is there a significant difference among the opinions of the respondents regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the food stall businesses when grouped according to gender? 7. Is there a significant difference among opinion of the respondents regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the food stall businesses when grouped according to age?

Significance of the Study

The study was conducted for the benefit of those who want to undergo a business venture that involves consumer durables, specifically food, within, inside, or around Tiendesitas. These entrepreneurs or businessmen must be knowledgeable with what types of food (stalls) are of great deals in Tiendesitas what food has the least or highest demand, which stall has the least or highest number of patrons/customers, which type of food is absent or present, and everything else. They will be able to hypothesize the demand ability or competitiveness of the food stall they will be aiming to put up in the said area thus achieving success through proper methods and the sale of correct, appropriate, and greatly saleable food items.

This study would also be of help to the general public as they would be able to identify the types of food that Tiendesitas is selling if ever they would go to the said location and shop. Also with this research, one who is interested in founding a food stall not necessarily at the same vicinity might also be able to get some good points and satisfactory details as to what types of food should be sold so that profit will come easier to you therefore deeming a successful risk undertaking. It can also promote health awareness as people would be interested to find out if the items they sell at food stands there in Tiendesitas are healthy thus it will be a reason for the public to try out and see for themselves the food they offer. If worries such as unhygienic preparation and the like will be brought up, they can personally go to the venue and inspect thus sparking curiosity amongst the concerned citizens of our country.

As important this study is to entrepreneurs, it is also of same importance with business or management students. These students are geared towards creating and innovating profitable

activities whether high or low-capital income. This study is aimed to have them knowledgeable with the food Tiendesitas contains and what it takes to be able to run even a simple business (number of employees needed, what are the things that consumers usually look for in a food stall, etc.). We are aiming for this study to be of a big help to future entrepreneurs so that more business will be established leading to better lives among the people in our country which would eventually lead to a better GDP, then GNP and then probably better economic status (assuming ceteris paribus).

Significance to Future Researchers This study will help future researchers that will likewise determine the success factors of food businesses. Our study will focus on food stalls while future researches may focus on bigger restaurants around Tiendesitas. The outcome of our study will aid in providing a lead as to what the success factors may be in bigger food businesses. There will at least be a pattern or some similarities

It will also help the business owners/managers be knowledged about the success factors of the different stalls in Tiendesitas thus establishing factual arrangements when it comes to identifying competition variables through the strengths and weaknesses stated here. We would like to believe that this study will be of utter importance to them as they would want to put their own businesses on the top by outsmarting each other on the marketing level and gaining a higher amount of patrons resulting to a better profit.

Likewise, this study is also useful to employees such that they should treat this study as an instrument of knowledge what the other food stalls are like, what kinds of businesses their own is against with (in the market of profit and customers), how the employees of the other food stalls are like. It is aimed for the employees to use as a basis or a checklist to what they should do to be at par, or even greater with/than the other employees from different food stalls.

Lastly, this study caters mostly to customers (especially to business-minded individuals eager to know how mini businesses such as so are being run). They shall be informed as to what types of food are being sold in Tiendesitas, what the employees and managers/owners think of

their own businesses, what keeps the other people to consistently visit a specific food stall and a lot other factors. Consumers will be the ones to judge the end-product/s of each corporation (in general) therefore it is only necessary and ultimately reasonable for this study to be of paramount importance and usefulness to the general customers.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study will be limited to twelve (12) stalls namely: Balay, Bonnies BBQ, Dr. Tams Veganhaus, FreskaTbis Inc., Inasal Joe, Jose Goto and Pinoys Special, Kina Kuya Bar and Grill, Nanay Atangs, Popoy Sizzling, Sarsa Lokal, Something Piggy Sometimes Fishy, and Three Sisters Restaurant.

Questionnaires will be given to 12 managers, ___ employees, and ___ customers as to find out the opinions of each individual on which factors could possible aid in the success of managing a food stall. The answers to these questionnaires made will be the basis of determining success factors for food stall businesses.

Definition of Terms y Bahay kubo the native house of the Philippines and is also considered as its national shelter; made of indigenous building materials like bamboo and nipa, this preHispanic architecture was constructed to perfectly adapt to the tropical climate of the Philippines and to be easily repaired or rebuilt once damaged by typhoon, flood or earthquake which frequented the country; name is said to have originated from the Spanish word, cubo, which means cube, because of the bahaykubo 's rectangular/cubic shape y Ceteris paribus a Latin phrase, literally translated as "with other things the same," or "all other things being equal or held constant." It is an example of an ablative absolute and is commonly rendered in English as "all other things being equal." y Chatuchak WeekendMarket (Bangkok, Thailand) a very popular shopping centre to Thais and has become a popular place to tourists and foreigners who stay in Bangkok; has over 200,000 visitors each day(Saturday-Sunday) and 30% is foreign

Chicken Binakol a native dish from the province of Aklan; this dish is cooked in a bamboo to help seal in the natural flavor of the ingredients

La Paz Batchoy a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, shrimp, vegetables, chicken stock, chicken breast, beef loin and round noodles; sometimes called as only Batchoy but because of its origin which is La Paz, Iloilo City, it is called so

Merienda a light meal in Southern Europe (particularly Spain), Latin America, and the Philippines; usually taken in the afternoon or for brunch; fills in the meal gap between lunch at noon and dinner, or between breakfast and lunch; a simple meal that often consists of a piece of fruit, cookies, yogurt, and other snacks paired with juice, chocolate, coffee, spirits, and other beverages.

Pakbet also called Pinakbet; this dish is made with different types of vegetables, meat, shrimps and bagoong (shrimp paste for BagoongnaAlamang)

Papaitan a stew of goat or ox tripes and innards flavored with bile and sampalok or silinglabuyo; name is derived from "pait" meaning bitter

SinaingnaTulingan more commonly known in the international food market as Tuna Mackerel; a native dish of the Philippines and particularly famous in the city of Batangas; a variation of PaksiwnaIsda and PinangatnaIsda. Tulingan is a fish commonly found in the local markets of the Philippines

Sinigang a Philippine dish consisting of meat or seafood and vegetables simmered in a sour broth, often with a base of rice washing (water used to rinse rice)

Sisig a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour"; refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in salt and vinegar; a Filipino dish made from parts of pigs head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers

Tiendesitas a Spanish word meaning a small store, or a collection of little stores, It is a name of a shopping mall complex located along the C-5 road in Pasig City, Metro Manila