Honestly, this is such a common trap I see cafe owners fall into. They look at the competition and assume the problem is the food, when really it's the positioning that's off.
You've got Dominos, Zero Degree, and all those other spots within a stone's throw - that's a saturated market for quick, familiar eats. Your friend's place is trying to stand out with Lebanese, Mexican, Italian, Chinese... but that's a whole different game. Customers going to Dominos aren't looking for a Lebanese plate, and vice versa.
The real struggle here is that the cafe is comparing apples to oranges. They see foot traffic at the competition and think "why not us?" But those customers have a specific craving. The cafe's USP is international dishes, but the local isn't supporting that footfall because the audience walking past is primed for cheap, fast, known brands.
From my experience, the fix isn't about begging the question of why footfall is low - it's about understanding who would walk an extra 200 meters for a Lebanese plate. That audience exists, but they're not the same crowd queuing for Dominos. Maybe they need a better reason to come - a lunch deal, a specific cuisine day, or even a delivery focus. Trying to be everything to everyone next to a row of specialists rarely ends well.
