Local food merchants stay afloat amid rising costs through a demand-boost initiative

As inflation continued to drive up utility bills and ingredient costs, many small restaurant owners found themselves facing a difficult choice: absorb rising expenses or pass them on to customers.

To help ease some of that pressure, Grab Philippines launched a one-month demand-boost campaign for select homegrown food merchants, fully funding consumer discounts so participating restaurants could attract more orders without sacrificing their already thin margins.

The initiative ran from May 21 to June 20 and aimed to help sustain customer demand during a period of rising operating costs. According to Grab, about two-thirds of participating merchants recorded higher order volumes during the campaign, with many seeing significant business growth.

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For restaurant owners like Joy Couture of Harley’s Boulevard Motor Cafe in Davao, the support came at a critical time.

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“The rising price of ingredients, especially meat, makes it costly to join discount promos all the time,” Couture said. “Having Grab absorb the cost of this promo was a big help. It boosted our brand’s visibility on the app and helped improve our sales over the past month.”

Grab Philippines Chief Commercial Officer EJ dela Vega said the initiative was designed to provide practical support for merchants navigating higher operating expenses.

“It’s easy to be a partner when times are good,” dela Vega said. “But with utility and ingredient costs spiking, the daily math just wasn’t making sense for our local merchants. They didn’t need business advice; they needed actual orders and protected margins. By shouldering the cost of demand-boosting initiatives and providing concentrated support for those hit hardest, our goal was simple: help them keep their doors open.”

Beyond the promotional campaign, Grab also introduced debt relief options for severely affected merchant-partners, including alternative payment arrangements and loan holidays for eligible borrowers with existing cash loans, to help ease cash flow pressures.

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The company said it continues to invest in longer-term support for small businesses through the ‘Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte Program,’ which offers training on topics such as AI for MSMEs, digital marketing, financial management, and social media strategies in partnership with local government units.

For merchants looking to strengthen their dine-in operations, Grab also provides Grab In-Store Solutions+, a suite of tools that includes Grab Dine Out Deals and Grab Payment Solutions to help businesses digitize payments and run targeted in-store promotions.

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While the month-long campaign has ended, its impact continues to resonate with the small business owners who received much-needed support during a challenging period. As rising costs and the energy crisis continue to affect restaurants and other local enterprises, Grab Philippines said it remains committed to working with its merchant-partners to help them navigate economic pressures and sustain their businesses in the months ahead.

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