Hizon’s was conceptualized as a "way out" for Octavia "Baby" Hizon and her townmate from Concepcion, Tarlac from the daily demands of being housewives and mothers.
"I wanted to have something to do outside of getting pregnant each year. I was heavy with my fifth child, when I really got so tired and bored with just making babies. So I talked to my husband (Henry, whose family owns the Hizon’s Laboratories) begging him to let me go back to work," Baby said.
Since Capangpangan women are required to be good cooks by their families, Baby and her townmate were confident of starting a food business. They each invested P8,000 and from Baby’s kitchen they started catering to the food needs of their immediate friends/relatives.
"In one year, my friend recovered several times over her P8,000 investment and backed out. I continued the business on my own with less than 10 people. Now I have 40 to 50 regular employees in addition to a reserve pool of employees (waiters, etc.) who I can call anytime for catering projects, " Hizon said.
"Before, catering requires only a dozen or more goblets, plates, napkins, tables, linens, etc. which can even be rented. Now, if you want to be a serious and respected caterer you have to invest a neat sum to have your own materials and equipment," she said.
The kitchen/commissary of Hizon’s is located across Fernwood in Project 6, Quezon City occupying a 2,000 square meter lot with three-story building inside the huge Hizon estate. The commissary was fully paid by Hizon’s catering from Hizon’s Laboratory, which owns the estate.
An indication of the long-term vision of Hizon’ s Catering is that the commissary and all facilities in it is worth over P50 million, including two walk-in freezers; several refs and chillers; rice cooker that can cook a sack for 900 people in 40 minutes; 22 high flame burners; a long row of aluminum preparation table; a laundry equipment like that of Oakwood Hotel, steam iron machine and aluminum linen folding table equivalent to hundreds of table linens a day; 52 pieces (and counting) of CAM food carrier (from the US each worth P22,000); 22 mini chocolate fountains and 4 large chocolate fountains (with each large fountain costing an equivalent of a brand new car); cold and hot kitchen and three catering trucks. Soon, she will add refrigerated vans to her fleet.
Hizon’s does an average of eight catering events per day, reaching 13 to 15 a day during peak season (December, spilling over to January which is the peak season for weddings and corporate Christmas parties). Lean period is during rainy season.
The cost for catering ranges from P555 per plate (for tight budget) and P785 per plate usually for corporate events and parties. The size of catering has also improved much from just 50 persons when Hizon’s started to its current size of 900 to over 1,000 persons.
Catering events are 60 percent weddings and 40 percent corporate conferences and launches/parties and family gatherings including debuts, wakes and get together, Hizon said.
Though Hizon tries to be visible in each catering, she compensates for her absence by giving the clients a feedback scorecard to rate the service, food and level of satisfaction after each event.
The Wedding Expo this March 4 and 5 with over 200 exhibitors and nearly 170 suppliers is expected to showcase the catering industry’s products and services.
Hizon is a founding member of the 80-member Food Caterers Association of the Philippines and its president for 2003-2004. FCAP also has associate members from the ranks of suppliers.
Hizon’s is now completing the documentation of its certification under the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program, a requirement of most major markets in the world.
22 Renowned Lane, Sanville Subdivision, Project 6, QC. Phone : 9283672/9250107