For Cabalen, the chain of restaurants famous for its "eat all you can eat all you want" Filipino buffet, the time for franchising has finally come. "We had been receiving a number of inquiries for the past couple of years," says Ian N. Tiongson, Cabalen’s business development manager. However, they took their time and were quite prudent in choosing the franchisee that would enjoy the wealth of goodwill the popular Cabalen name has earned through the years.
It was Butch Bartolome, Cabalen’s franchise consultant, who eventually got Ian to meet with Mila and Antonio (Tonet) Robles, a young and enterprising couple who had been loyal patrons of Cabalen restaurants for the longest time.
"We both love eating out, at times almost every day," Mila relates. It was while indulging in this favorite pastime that they noticed, on more than one occasion, that there was always a long waiting line at the Cabalen outlet at the mall.
"The food is really good. They have a wide selection. And the prices are very reasonable," Mila remarks. They saw the business opportunity and decided to go for it.
Tonet belongs to the family which owns the Sta. Lucia Mall in Cainta.
The first franchised Cabalen Restaurant is located at the newly developed Brick Road Area near the parking area of Sta. Lucia Mall. "We chose to have our restaurant in this free-standing structure rather than inside the mall," Mila explains, "since we also offer function rooms for parties such as weddings and baptisms." Mila recalls one time when she saw a bride still in her wedding gown, heading towards a restaurant within the mall where her wedding reception was being held. The image seemed rather incongruous.
Cabalen Restaurant at the Brick Road Area within the Sta. Lucia Mall complex occupies two floors, with a total floor area of 317 square meters and a seating capacity of 180. The entire second floor is reserved for functions while the daily buffet is laid out on the first floor. The interiors were done by architect Jojie C. Salonga who also did the interiors of most of the other Cabalen branches, basically characterized by a homey atmosphere, to complement the restaurant’s "lutong bahay" concept. In this first Cabalen franchise, the color theme is of a pale green, the same shade as the restaurant’s best selling buco-pandan shake.
"It was especially chosen by Maritel Nievera," Jojie reveals, referring to the original driving force behind the Cabalen chain of restaurants. Maritel also happens to be the mother of Ian, the eldest son in a family of three children.
The first thing that surprised Mila when she met Ian was his youth. Only 26 years old, Ian admits that when he started taking on responsibilities in his mother’s restaurant in 1997, after graduating with a degree in Human Resources Management from De La Salle University, he sensed some resistance from the staff, most of whom were much older than he.
"But even while I was studying, I was already bartendering and waitering in the restaurants," Ian relates. He had to convince the people that he knew what he was doing. He was also humble enough to ask questions and learn from those who were more experienced.
The other thing that came as a surprise for Mila was the kind of support that was given them as Cabalen franchisee. "It exceeded my expectations," Mila remarks. Both she and Tonet underwent a one month hands-on training program. "I did everything except wash dishes," Mila recalls. Not to be outdone, Tonet relates, "I even learned how to prepare sisig." And at the store’s soft opening last April, "they came full force to show their support," Mila relates, "from all the branch managers to the operations manager up to Maritel herself, together with her family."
The admiration is mutual. Ian appreciates the enthusiasm and commitment that Mila has shown. "It is not enough that you are willing to invest," he comments. "It’s not only the money. You should also be willing to undergo training and really be hands-on."
Ian is fully aware of the importance of protecting the good name which Cabalen has earned through the years. "It is easy to add more outlets, but it is more difficult to maintain," Ian remarks. "It is important that we are able to maintain the high quality of our food and service that we are known for in all our branches, and now, also in the franchise outlet."
A second franchise store will open soon in Bel-Air in Makati. "Franchising is now the trend," Ian observes. "It started much earlier abroad, and now, we are fast catching up here." Ian has set his eyes on further expansion, seeing about two to three new outlets per year, eventually going nationwide, and even international in five years time.
Mila’s eyes light up at the prospect of opening their own Cabalen franchise sometime in the near future in LA or San Francisco where there are large Filipino communities. For Ian, what matters most is preserving the wealth of goodwill that the Cabalen name enjoys.