Kara’s unique taste keeps biz upbeat

With the soaring prices of basic commodities, the common tao now finds other means of making ends meet by being entrepreneurial in their own way.

Couple Baby and Polybius Radelosa, both in their mid-40’s, deemed opening up their own business to be the only way to meet their family’s daily needs, thus both gave up their jobs and opened a Blueprint Service from the separation pay they got from their respective employers.

However, due to competition and increasing prices of materials, their blueprint business failed to prosper. Nevertheless, their failure only encouraged them more to pursue another business, which would be Kara Fried Chicken.

With a P70,000 startup capital, the couple opened Kara Fried Chicken last January of 2001 in Sanciangko Street, Cebu City. Being newbies in the business, their new venture almost folded up by middle of that year due to low sales. With an expectation of a P1000 daily net profit, it was normal for the couple to be saddened by the P500 actual profit they got everyday.

Not ready to give up the business just yet, Baby and Polybius, find ways to perk up their business and one was to improve the taste of their chicken making it more scrumptious than its competitors. From then on, their sales started to improve from the month of November 2001 until the present.

“The delicious taste, its affordable price and the size is what made us keep coming back to eat here at Kara’s,” said Ryan Desales, 26, who is a regular costumer together with his friends and family.

Kara’s fried chicken can be bought for only P35 a piece. Aside from chicken meal, Kara’s also serve other food products including tempura at P3, ngohiong at P5, hotdog for P10, squid roll for P5, ham at P8, longganisa at P5 and dessert like fresh lumpia for only P10.

Baby said that she had no plans of expanding their business. She also added that it is better to focus on one than to establish branches which would require more personnel. It is better that the family will be the one to take care of their business. During weekdays she manages the business with her husband, but during weekends, their children take care of it.

Before their sweet success, Baby said one of the toughest problem they had was on the acquisition of their place, which they bought for P150,000 from the previous lessee without the knowledge of the real owner. However, with proper negotiations, all problems were ironed out and the couple finally got the place for their business.

“With hard work and perseverance, nothing is impossible,” is the only message Baby can share to would-be entrepreneurs.