Cebuano restaurateur pushes healthy dining

CEBU, Philippines - A young Cebuano restaurateur is bent on promoting healthy dining options for the Filipino market, by providing affordable Japanese foods via his chain of Japengo restaurants in Cebu.

Dan Legarde, proprietor of three Japengo Restaurants situated in different locations in Cebu, namely in Cybergate, Parkmall, and SouthGate Mall in Mactan, revealed that with the shifting of the market demand for healthy food choices, Japengo will lead in offering pocket-friendly Japanese food, which is also considered as one of the healthiest cuisines.

In a span of one year, after he spent over P2 million for opening his first Japanese restaurant, the Japengo in Parkmall, Legarde was able to open two branches. This is an indication that the market is slowly embracing Japanese cuisine, as healthy dining-out alternatives.

“I want it to be affordable to Filipinos, so they can appreciate well the Japanese cuisine, and its health benefits. So far, there are only few restaurants that seriously embarked on providing healthy, yet affordable menus for restaurant diners,” he said.

Although, there are already a number of Japanese restaurant players in Cebu, Legarde said he is banking the chain’s growth on its affordability, and the quality of Japanese menus.

Because of the high cost of preparing authentic Japanese foods, he said his restaurants’ thrust is to modernize the recipes and concoction in order to conform to the Filipino taste, not compromising the quality of the food preparation.

For as low as P145, one can already enjoy a full healthy Japanese meal, which is a rare price offer in other Japanese restaurants, he said.

He said there is a huge opportunity for growth in providing healthy alternative restaurant choices, not only in Cebu, but across the country. The reason, the young entrepreneur plans to expand the chain nationwide in the five years.

The 25-year-old Cebuano entrepreneur is confident of the country’s restaurant business, despite the tough competition, banking on giving value-for-money and affordable choices, emphasizing on the health benefits of the food the restaurant is offering.

“I don’t really see restaurants now seriously promoting healthy foods,” he reiterated adding that Japengo will attract the mainstream market to embrace Japanese cuisine.

Dining in a Japanese restaurant doesn’t have to be expensive, he said. This time, Legarde is making Japengo a casual-modern Japanese restaurant, so not to intimidate the mainstream market.

While Japanese ingredients are deemed expensive, he said the restaurant has to sacrifice for thinner profit margin, just to introduce a healthy alternative for dine out customers, and promote Japanese cuisine to majority of Filipinos.

Establishing its name in the Cebu market, Legarde said he is planning to open up more Japengco restaurants in other areas in the Philippines, and even enter into the greater Metro Manila market. (FREEMAN)