Interior Design and Commercial Signage Analysis of Muslim-Friendly Restaurants in the Capital Town and the Only City of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines

Abstract

Architectural structure and interior designs of commercial establishments are significant factors in considering a Muslim -friendly tourism destination. The practice of Halal food is centred on Mindanao Island to address the community's needs, like looking for safer food and temporary shelter. The strict observance of Halal practices is expected. However, there are misconceptions about Halal in the community. This study determined the common interior designs of establishments with the Halal logo on their signages. Another focus is the floor plan, furniture and fixtures and their arrangement. It also analyses the commercial signs on the establishments as to the common colours, font styles and other special features and the implication of the Halal logo printed on the signage to customers' eyes. Descriptive quantitative and qualitative content analysis elicited information from the owners, customers and crews. The small and medium-scale food service providers with Halal logos posted in the signages are covered in this study. There are limited locations that offer Muslim-friendly food. It is usually cooked indoors or at home and displayed on the stalls. The eating and handwashing areas are also in limited space. Hence, the public market food stalls with Halal logos used temporary commercial signages like tarpaulin posted on the façade. The Halal logo is printed on the right side of the monotone or the green and white colour with simple font styles. Muslim customers are confident about eating food offered at Muslim -friendly establishments; however, non-Muslim passers-by searching for food disregard logo and their relevance to food safety practices. Thus, there is a need to massively disseminate information about the importance of Halal practices in the area.