MANILA, Philippines - Perhaps an indication of a pervasive need to have work-life balance, more and more office buildings in rising business district Bonifacio Global City are hosting restaurants on the ground floor and lower levels.
Two of Manila’s highly rated dining places are located in office developments put up by The Net Group: the trendy Je Suis Gourmand by Chef Marc Aubry at Net One and Bistro Filipino owned by acclaimed Chef Roland Laudico at Net Square. Offering a similarly casual ambience, Eat Well, Basty’s, Teriyaki Boy and Dell’s Foodhall at Net Quad have also developed a following.
Charlie Rufino, president of The Net Group, explains the reason why Metro Manila office developers are now accommodating restaurants: “At the end of the day, people relate well to the retail experience — restaurants in particular.” A trendy restaurant brings a certain cache to a real estate project, he says. Thus, The Net Group plans a building by focusing first on the restaurant and retail concept and preparing the best infrastructure for it.
To attract restaurateurs and other food retailers who are always conscious of their expenses, The Net Group which operates primarily in Bonifacio Global City promotes the use of piped-in gas as cooking fuel. Piped-in gas is supplied by Bonifacio Gas in the rising business district and also in the commercial section of Eastwood City.
Serge Bernal, Bonifacio Gas general manager, reports that piped-in gas offers savings of up to 40 percent compared to electricity. Moreover, buildings connected to the Bonifacio Global City and Eastwood networks enjoy the protection offered by state-of-the-art facilities.