"With 10 stores in the region, we have the largest chain in Bicol. Now, we also have one outlet each in Metro Manila and in Pampanga, both of which are under franchise," said Carlo Buenaflor, managing director of the company’s franchising arm, Make it Bigg Restaurant, Inc.
Describing itself as a "fast casual" restaurant chain, each of the 12 Bigg’s outlet takes the customer’s order at the counter just like a fastfood outlet but the food is served quickly on real plates by waiters just like in a restaurant.
"Our menu is wider and our servings are bigger than most," said Buenaflor. "Because there aren’t many food establishment to choose from in Bicol, we made sure we had food favorites of everybody in the family from burgers and fries to pizza, from fried chicken to Asian dishes. And we have kept our prices very competitive."
Given its unique selling proposition, Make it Bigg is giving priority to franchisees with provincial locations north and south of Metro Manila.
"Aside from the location, we are also looking at the managerial style of potential franchisees since this is a business that demands hands-on management," said Buenaflor, who trained in restaurant operations in the United States. "It does not matter whether the potential franchisee would locate the business outside or within the mall although profits are bigger in a stand-alone restaurant because the overhead is less even if there are less customers."
Each of the three partners–Teresa Buenaflor, Consuelo Bichara, and Maricar Manjon – invested P5,000 in the business called Mang Donald’s, the name which many people in Metro Manila used to refer to the McDonalds chain that set up shop in the country a year before.
The Bicol-based business changed its name to Carl’s Diner when the American chain filed a trademark infringement suit against it in 1989. The new name–after the sons of the three owners, all of whom had a Carlo–had to changed again with the entry of another multinational chain, Carl’s Jr.
"We settled on our current name in 1995. We wanted a monosyllabic name that was not yet in use, one that had a Western ring to it and one that connoted a generous serving of food. We settled on Bigg’s, with the second "g" connoting a family name," said Buenaflor.
Bigg Inc. has its own two-story building in Naga, which houses a big walk-in freezer, processing facility, cold and hot storage facilities, and the main office. The company’s commissary, which was adjudged by the Bureau of Food and Drug early this year as the cleanest facility in the region, services not only the company’s 12 retail outlets but is also the region’s biggest catering service.
"We thought that if the business could do well in a depressed region where disposable income is less, then how much more in areas like Metro Manila where people have bigger pockets?," said Buenaflor.
The investment package, which covers the franchise fee, construction, initial inventory and training as well as rental advance and deposit, working capital and furniture, could reach as high as the P7.5 million paid for the 180 square meter outlet in SM Bicutan.
Other available business models are the Bigg’s junior, with a floor area of 160 sqm., and the Bigg’s restaurant, with a floor area of 250 sqm.
The franchise is good for 15 years, renewable every five years. The company gets a 5% royalty. Unlike other franchising programs, however, Make it Bigg does not tie down the franchisee to buy its supplies entirely from its central commissary.
"Our commissary supplies all their meat requirement and rice or about 70% of the items they sell at the store. The franchisee can choose buy all other items from local sources, if these are cheaper," said Buenaflor.
In the case of the outlets in Bicutan and Pampanga, Bigg Inc. replenishes their supply of meat every 10 days.
Over the next five years, the company intends to expand by three outlets a year.
"We want Bigg’s to be known as the restaurant chain that serves huge servings of good food, which is why we want to maintain just a few more franchisees so we can oversee them properly. We are here for the long haul and not just for quick profits from too many franchisees."