Greenwich gets a facelift
Young people are always on the look-out for new places to hang out. Coffee shops and cafés are always nice with their comfy sofas and cool ambience. Likewise, certain restaurants are always familiar haunts because they serve favorite dishes. Such places are frequented by a steady clientele, keeping them afloat in the cutthroat world of food and beverage service.
Quite often, however, these places fall victim to a sort of over-familiarity. Visiting the same restaurant or café day after day can become quite routine and boring. While some may feel a sense of security in having a particular drink or dish, others have a need to do more than just satiate thirst and hunger.
We all know the feeling of finding a new spot to chill at. We tell our friends, get together, recommend what we believe is up to par, and have a good time enjoying the camaraderie. While it’s true that the company is truly what makes for an enjoyable experience, this may not necessarily follow if the majority doesn’t enjoy the place they are at.
Several factors determine whether or not a place is “good.” It has to be accessible to everyone and have a large selection of food and drink; the place itself has to be comfortable, and it has to be affordable by certain standards. These factors put people at ease; a state that many will agree is conducive to a more enjoyable dining and hanging out experience.
These places do exist, and many of us have already found them. It is surprising to know that, now, the search has become even much easier. Greenwich, the Philippines’ number one pizza chain, has instilled new life into their outlets, moving from being just fast food joints to “fast-casual” ones.
Fast-casual, as Greenwich puts it, is their improved fast food menu coupled with a cozier setting. A breakthrough in customer service, it promises a friendlier staff, a more pleasant dining area for barkada bonding moments, and an improved selection of food and drink. It is still fast food, but only if measured by the time it takes for the food to get to your table. These refurbished outlets aim to keep people hanging around for the extra moments that happen after the last slice of pizza is eaten.
Greenwich fast-casual stores have opened in Makati, in Robinsons Galleria, Cebu, Baguio and Pampanga, with more store renovations to follow. The façade and the interiors are much more comfortable, with the overall layout overseen by premier design and creative agencies like Team Manila, Blue Bottle Inc. and Publicis Jimenez Basic.
At the opening of the Robinsons Galleria outlet, John Lloyd Cruz made an appearance. Having been the spokesperson for many of the brand’s campaigns, he cannot help but be proud of the pizza chain. “I wanna go with the brand, having been a (Greenwich) spokesperson over a time when many new additions and changes were made in the restaurant. It is a celebration in growth that we are both taking part in,” he says. He adds, “I like the new look, and it couldn’t be more bagay to the barkada setting.”
Greenwich marketing director Francis Flores adds: “Young people need their own space where they can just be themselves with their friends. It is important for us to make them feel comfortable and the redesigned store in Galleria gives them a cool venue, complete with great food and service.”
Greenwich stores near you that have not yet undergone this facelift may be closed for the time being. But not to worry: when they reopen, they will still serve the same great pizza and will sport a new look to boot. And if you are a John Lloyd fan, he might visit another branch for its re-launching, so you might want to get your cameras ready for that.
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For more information visit www.greenwich.com.ph.
E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.
