Getting into the malls

Chicken Inasal has come a long way from the street stalls of Bacolod City to the biggest malls of Metro Manila. The chain of restaurants named after the distinctly Bacolod grilled chicken is opening its sixth branch in Robinson’s Place Manila this June after first venturing into SM Centrepoint last March.

"We look upon our expansion as a kind of blessing because we did not look for it," said Bacolod Chicken Inasal marketing chief Rose Tanalgo. "It was a real ego booster for us when SM called us for Centrepoint and gave us options in their other malls. When Robinsons called us, we realized there was still room to bring our food to more people."

Tanalgo and her two siblings put up Bacolod Chicken Inasal in 1994 with an initial investment of P1.5 million. Its first outlet was a take-out counter in Sandy Daza’s restaurant at EDSA Central, much like the street stalls which sold grilled fare in their native city. It had only eight seats and had no air-conditioning. People in their Benzes would drive by and order to go because they couldn’t sit down.

To keep up with the fast-growing demand, the take-out counter was expanded to a real sit-down restaurant, with a lot of help from Daza and Tanalgo’s parents, who are also restaurateurs in their home town.

With an eye towards expanding to other areas in Metro Manila, Bacolod Chicken stabilized its operations with JM Tanalgo as general manager and Bing Tanalgo handling product development and personnel. It also established a commissary in Pasig. In 1998, the company began opening one store every year, starting with Makati.

Within the chain, the Quezon Memorial Circle branch, a favorite venue for birthday parties, baptisms and press conferences, has the largest seating capacity. The Makati branch, however, has the biggest volume.

Adjustments

Opening in the malls required some adjustments. "There was more paperwork. We needed to get the lessor’s permission to put up streamers and to distribute flyers. We had less space than our stand-alones but we had more customers because the people of Manila are mallers," said Tanalgo. "

Bacolod Chicken Inasal’s market range from upper C to B and A, especially citified Visayans who miss Ilonggo cuisine. Best-sellers are the chicken barbecue and the boneless milkfish which Tanalgo’s mom makes. "We offer good food at good prices in a good eating environment," said Tanalgo.

Although a small chain, the Tanalgos have already received franchise queries from entrepreneurs in Cebu and the United States. "Our goal right now is to serve the Metro Manila market," she said. Towards this end, Tanalgo is beefing its home delivery service, particularly for the subdivision-rich Makati and Greenhills branches. Orders can be made through the telephone or through the Internet.