Dave & Buster’s, Fogo de Chão, etc: Bistro Group marks 30th year, announces new concepts
MANILA, Philippines — Leading restaurant chain The Bistro Group recently marked its 30th anniversary at the Hard Rock Café Manila with the announcement of its new international concepts.
These new dining concepts, the group said in a statement, are as follows:
- Dave & Buster’s, a destination for food, drink and entertainment (“eatertainment”) where guests can dine, drink , play interactive games, or simply watch sports shows at the bar;
- Fogo de Chão, the internationally renowned experiential restaurant from Brazil known for the culinary art of churrasco;
- Longhorn Steakhouse that serves high-quality steaks, ribs, chops, chicken and more;
- Dessert 129 from Korea
- From Bistro’s Corporate Executive Chef Josh Boutwood comes another innovative concept, Juniper. Located at the Shangri-la Plaza Mall and scheduled to open this February, it offers a large selection of gins, botanicals and tonics with a beautifully crafted menu that was developed to complement the drinking experience.
All these, according to the company, are aligned with its aggressive expansion strategy, as the group plans to open over 100 stores in the next five years.
“Ours is a story of people. Our human resource is an essential contributor toward our growth and profitability. Our personnel are key assets to our company. They are the bedrock of our success and sustainability,” said Jean Paul Manuud, The Bistro Group President, in the same statement.
In 1994, the company opened the first TGIFridays in Glorietta, Makati City, a breakthrough restaurant that opened the floodgates for the casual dining experience in the Philippines. The man behind this forerunner concept was The Bistro Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, William Stelton. It was a trailblazing move that led to other similar restaurant concepts in the food and beverage industry.
Stelton was very impressed with his first visit to a TGIFridays store in the US, saying he felt the energy and the excitement right away.
“That was why I decided to bring the concept to the Philippines,” he said.
Its maiden store at Glorietta Mall was the biggest branch in the world at that time.
“We had hundreds of people queueing when we launched it. The market’s enthusiastic acceptance of the brand was amazing!” he declared.
Today, TGIFridays is thriving and expanding in the Philippines.
Soon after, Bistro successfully launched an ensemble of other American brands such as Italianni’s, Denny’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Texas Roadhouse, Randy’s Donuts, Olive Garden, Hard Rock Café and El Pollo Loco.
Asian concepts also thrived within the company’s portfolio, including Watami, Modern Shang, Red Lotus, Bulgogi Brothers, Secret Recipe, and Fish & Co as well as homegrown restaurants like Krazy Garlik and Siklab+.
There are also Spanish concepts like Las Flores, Tomatito, Rambla and Rumba as well as Bistro Elite, which includes Helm, Ember, Savage and The Test Kitchen. Last December, it launched the luxurious brand, Morton’s The Steakhouse.
These dining concepts have a presence in major malls and stand-alone locations within Metro Manila and in the provinces of Pampanga and Bataan. The company has also enhanced its F&B footprint by making its mark in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, opening stores in the culinary capitals Cebu and Bacolod.
The company, in the same statement, vowed to keep innovating and developing new concepts, keeping a finger on the pulse of its customers and remaining constantly attuned with the latest industry trends and ever-evolving technology that impacts the F&B industry. — Videos by Deni Bernardo
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