Camotes Island was quite far from the city she lived in before. Beauty traveled for an hour and took the ferry for another two hours before she could reach this island.
The whole island was not so big that one can travel around it with any vehicle for just half a day. The beach had white sands that were not stony to touch, full of gravel, or muddy under one's feet. It was more of a soft-like cushion to soothe one's aching bare feet walking on it. Relaxing crystal clear water, which was not polluted, surrounded the island; so clear that swimmers could see their feet underneath while swimming under the moonlight.
The place had no nightlife establishments (like the disco, pub, & etc.). It was forbidden purposely to maintain the peace and order in the community. A clean shoreline was well-kept by the welcoming locals, making tourists enjoy its environment and serenity.
A special project was made by the government to enhance tourism on some islands. Camotes Island was chosen to be one of the major tourist destinations under this project.
"I have news for both you, ladies. As we all heard that Camotes Island was chosen as one of the tourists' destinations to be promoted. Two weeks from now, lots of tourists will come to our island for a week and ..." Grand Daddy paused and looked at the two faces before him.
"Hey, just say it. Lots of nonsense," Grand Mommy complained.
"I'm trying to be suspenseful here! It won't be exciting if I'll say it right away." He tried to joke a little to his beloved wife. Their granddaughter just giggled, watching the two bicker.
"Fine, you win. Beauty, this will be a chance for you to shine! I can feel it—it's seeping through my bones right now! The local government will allow us to rent a booth, and then we can sell there anything we like. I thought of opening a small eatery for you."
"YES, THIS IS GREAT! Oh, I need a lot of things! Can we not make it look like a small resto bar? No, no, let's make it a restaurant ... hmm, let me see ... yes, I know what to open: a buffet-style food stall!"
"What do you need? Just tell us, and we'll see what we can do." The elder man offered.
"I need meat: lots of pork, chicken, and goat meat. I also need a variety of vegetables and spices—big volumes. We need tables and chairs."
"Just give me a list, and I'll see where and how we can get them," said the grandfather.
The grandparents were so excited that they readied a lot of chicken, pigs, and goats in the farm, primed to be butchered on the day to be cooked.
Grand Daddy also asked neighboring farmers for some spices and fruits that they could particularly buy at low prices. She needed them to enhance the taste and achieve the presentation based on her plans. They also offered those farmers a chance to display and sell their harvests in their booth for free. This made the farmers grateful and happy. They gave Beauty big discounts on the things she bought from them. They would just earn more from their display during the whole tourism week.
By the way, to set up booths, one must register and pay in the local government office for a minimal price based on the length and width of the booth. The farmers skipped paying the fee by displaying their goods in Beauty's area. Grand Daddy cunningly registered for the biggest size allotment of 20 sq. meters so that they could place the tables, the chairs, and the farmers' goods.
Beauty checked all her recipes and then bought necessary things. She prepared menu sets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. High school students became her helpers. Their pay was only free food and some incentives Beauty prepared. A lot volunteered for experience, free tasty food, and an exclusive shirt. However, she paid the mothers and fathers, whom she taught, to help cook the meals and recruited some as kitchen staff.
She planned to include some local delicacies as well. She asked a lady, who was excellent at making this particular cassava product called 'Puto Balanghoy'[1], to have some ready. It was not really a dish, but one of the staple foods there. This was made from cassava which was formed into balls and could be made sweet, salty, or bland. She offered the lady to sell in her booth as well.
. . . . . .
Monday speedily came, and the whole island was in a hubbub. It was more like a festival. Buses and buses of tourists came. Even celebrities, media, major and minor sponsors of the project, and high-ranking government officials were there.
There were multiple tents standing around the beach, using bamboo poles and canvas—these were the booths. Most booths received customers and sold their products well. Some displayed non-consumable items while some were selling grilled and barbecued meat and rice encased in woven coconut leaves called 'puso'.
Compared to the number of customers other food booths got, Beauty's had the most. The menu set was a hit: rice, two kinds of meat of choice, and vegetable dishes with fruits. A meal also came with a drink of choice: coffee, chocolate drink, or juice. A lot of tourists were delighted by her food presentation. Most of all, after tasting the food, they kept coming back for more.
"Wow, this is a very nice plate they made. Look under the banana leaf. There's a native woven plate made of coconut leaves' sticks."
"Uhum, really nice. This breakfast is also special. Look at how the food was arranged! It looks like a chrysanthemum or a sunflower in full bloom on a ground of rice."
"Why did the meat become yellowish?"
"The girl with a chef outfit said they placed turmeric paste on the meat, making them yellowish."
"So artistic! Look the meat was cut into long strips and arranged like petals of a flower! The green vegetables, just look closely … does it look like a stem or leaf?
"I like the spiciness and crunchiness of this veggie patty."
"What patty?"
"Veggie patty, that one in the middle."
"It does look like a blooming chrysanthemum. This is picture perfect! A new style, new innovation!"
"Very creative indeed."
"The one who planned this has a good imagination. I like it!"
"Hey, eat and taste it. It's really great! All the meat was seasoned well! Very appetizing! Delicious!"
"The veggies complemented well with the meat. It has its own distinct taste."
"Can we buy more, Mom? I'm still hungry. I want to eat more."
"Yeah, same here. So delicious, let's buy more."
Beauty's area was so full that some customers waited to be seated, but a lot just bought take-out and ate somewhere comfortable near the seashore or in their hotel rooms. This made the others exhibitors envious. The lady and the farmers who had their items displayed in her booth benefited the most. They were happy they agreed with Beauty.
At lunch, she showed another new idea of hers. It was a one pay, one plate with five dishes buffet-style. A customer would have to pay the price and be given a big plate. They could fill the plate as much as they wanted, as long as the food would not spill out. Along with it came a free glass of juice or cola.
The same thing happened at dinner, but the dishes were different from lunch. Compared with lunch, Grand Mommy's marinated fish and pork steak were grilled in front of the customers. It became a special treat for everyone. It needed lesser time to serve since it was self-service, with two long tables full of food where four lines of customers could queue in.
The downside was a lot of leftovers on the plate. Not because it was not delicious, but the customers could not finish them all. They stuffed up their plate more than their stomachs could take.
A new rule was set the next day. A notice board said 'One Pay, One Plate (medium or large) with Five Dishes Buffet'. Then there's a big note under this phrase: PLEASE NO LEFTOVERS ALLOWED or pay more. The medium plate was lesser in price compared to a large one, so those who could consume a little had a choice to pay less. This went on for three days.
Beauty and company were happy, but some hotel owners were frustrated. Only a few people ate in their hotel restaurants, and their income was affected. The problem was they stocked up a lot, filling their food storage. Unfortunately, only a few were taken out. When they heard about the local booth owners' envy, they schemed to sabotage Beauty and then place the blame on these poor people.
[1] This staple food was introduced to the community to help them survive until harvest time comes.