It's all about Goodles

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos love Italian food. The love for Italian cuisine is shown with many Italian restaurants mushrooming in the metropolis. But let’s face it, eating Italian means fine dining and expensive meals. What about those who are on the go? Wanting to answer that niche, Sharlene Tan put up Goodles, a one stop Italian pasta shop for those who want to eat while on the go.

Sharlene is no stranger to food. As early as her elementary years, she was selling cookies and dessert. It was only after her stint as an editor for a food magazine that she decided to fulfill her dream and establish Goodles.

According to Sharlene, the idea for Goodles came because she felt there were “only few places in Manila with good pasta.”

“It used to be that to eat good pasta, people have to go to a posh Italian restaurant, which most people don’t have the time or money for these days. So what we offer them is that same taste and quality, but with an express serving time and a reasonable price,” Sharlene said.

So in late 2009, Sharlene opened Goodles at the fourth floor of Robinson’s Galleria. Since pasta is her business, quality is a must for this entrepreneur. “I had to make sure of the quality because we cook it fresh. I really want to maintain that.”

What’s make Goodles’ pasta different aside from being on to the go is the different flavors. Among the most popular dishes are the seven layer lasagna, grape carbonara and salsa rossa shrimp.

“We also don’t scrimp on ingredients and make our sauces daily from scratch using premium Italian olive oil, organic vegetables and imported ingredients to make sure you can only get the same taste when you visit our store,” Sharlene adds.

The name is also different, toying with the word ‘good’ and ‘noodles’. She said it was with the help of her former boss that she was able to come up with the name.

While Goodles has been embraced by a lot of customers, Sharlene notes that they still have a lot to prove with the pasta business. “We weren’t sure if people would accept eating pasta on the road because even if people are shifting to a healthier lifestyle, they would want to still eat hamburgers and French fries.”

While they operate in a kiosk style space, Goodles does not consider itself a food cart business. “We have our own kitchen in our store, where we cook all of our food fresh upon order, as opposed to food cart businesses where everything is zapped into the microwave or just heated and mixed together,” Sharlene said.

Even with lots of food establishments closing, Sharlene is very optimistic of Goodles’ prospects. She plans to open up two more stores within the year and continue to introduce more flavors. Franchising inquires have also been pouring. “But not now because we would still like to study the market,” she said.

So are there any tips she would like to impart to those who would like to get into any business? “The best advice is there no right time but now. If you think it’s worth it, go for it.”

So who says pasta has to be expensive? Not when Goodles is around to serve you.