BENTESILOG: THE NEXT BIG FOOD TREND FOR MODERN TAPSILOGAN

How far will your P20 go?” asked an ice cream commercial. At BenteSilog, it can already buy you a rice meal, complete with a fried egg and a meat viand of your choice—a steal for budget-conscious students and workers in highly-urbanized areas.

It was in 2009 when husband-and-wife Dennis and Maria Theresa Soriano, both of whom are veterans in the food manufacturing industry, decided to start a business near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) campus in Manila. The food stall, which served P20 silog meals (meals served with garlic fried rice, or sinangag, and a fried egg), proved to be a hit with its target market—students and workers from the C to F income brackets.

But while their family business proved to be a success, the Sorianos also had their fair share of skeptics, especially since their food stall was near the sidewalk. “Of course, customers were always asking if the food we were serving was clean,” recalls the couple’s daughter Aiza Soriano, now head of operations at BenteSilog.

Thus, the Sorianos decided to revamp the business into a dine-in restaurant in 2010, even getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its commissary. As the business grew, the Sorianos decided to finally franchise the brand on their own in 2012.

Again, the Sorianos faced another slew of detractors, most of whom accused BenteSilog of being a scam or a fly-by-night company due to its affordable franchise packages, with total investment starting at just P250,000. But the Sorianos continued to grow the brand, and BenteSilog now has 38 branches all over Luzon, only four of which are company-owned.

Franchisees are satisfied with BenteSilog’s franchise offer, especially with its affordable investment price and its quick returns, projected at 12 to 18 months. Add to that its product variety, with 38 food items on its menu consisting of silog viands, sizzling plates, and other complementing viands and beverages.

Now setting their sights for growth in Visayas and Mindanao, the Sorianos admit that they need help to further develop and improve their current franchise system. So, just this year, they finally decided to get the expert services of franchise consultancy firm Francorp Philippines.

“We made some mistakes in the past that proved to be costly. Now that we want to bring BenteSilog to Visayas and Mindanao, we can’t afford to make any more mistakes, which is why we already sought the help of Francorp,” says John Soriano, head of business development at BenteSilog.

For the Sorianos, there is no better partner for BenteSilog’s nationwide growth than Francorp Philippines. “We have seen how the company helped local brands, such as Jollibee and The Generics Pharmacy grow from a handful of branches to a hundred branches in just a year. Before, we never thought that was possible. But Francorp Philippines believes that it can be done by any brand as long as it has the right systems in place,” shares Dennis. (by Toni Antiporda)

Interested in franchising Bente Silog? Visit this link for more details.