In my home town many cafés, restaurants (even the very posh ones) have a cockroach problem due to our hot springs and so did we in our anarcho café.
So one of my friends studied the subject a bit and came to the conclusion that in terms of hygiene regarding food, flies are actually much worse because they spread germs and disease. So cockroaches don´t really pose a problem, people just think they are unhygienic and spread disease, maybe because they look a bit nasty.
I have to admit though, when I met my first big flying cockroach in the Philippines, flying almost in my face, I was also a bit shaken.
This is the 2nd time somebody speaks about the flying cockroach. I travelled more than 40 countries in my life and i don't recall ever encountering a flying one. The fact they could fly straight in your face makes it all a bit more 'scary' i must admit :-)
Your advantage now is your knowledge that there are cockroaches that can fly.
I did not know that at the time, so it was quite the surprise when it came flying towards me.
lol, I have this advantage.