Still Hot: Lots’a Pizza Turns 35

Tweet

Husband and wife Ed and Tess Ngan Tian — the founders of Lots’a Pizza — are celebrating a significant milestone this year. The Filipino pizza brand is marking its 35th anniversary.

Starting Fresh

Ed — started business by opening the snack food stall R&W Foods at Virra Mall Greenhills in 1980. In 1986 he told Tess that he wanted to open food stalls in San Beda College (SBC), Mendiola. Tess, who worked as a finance and administrative director for San Beda - Alabang, didn't immediately get on board with his idea. "I was hesitant at first because I didn't have any academic preparation and experience to be in the food business," she said.

Despite Tess's apprehensions, Ed was able to convince her that it would be a good venture. He pointed out that the odds were in their favor since there was high foot traffic in the location he had picked out.

Tess disclosed: "Our plan was to put up and sublease 12 stalls. We operated three of these stalls under the R&W Foods foodprints." However, their plan didn't really work out at first. "There were no takers," she recalled. "So, we ended up taking over three more stalls. Tenants later occupied the rest of the stalls."

The couple stayed in the SBC location for eight profitable years. They only moved out because the school started constructing the College of Law building there.

Pinoy Pizza 

Perfection

Aside from serving lunch fare and the usual snack items, Ed and Tess thought about serving "Pinoy style" pizza. To make sure that they did everything right, Tess took up a course in pizza technology at the prestigious American Institute of Baking (now known as AIB International) in Kansas City. When she was done with the course, Tess was able to develop Lots’a Pizza's signature parbaked crust and sauce.

The couple's investment in crafting the perfect Pinoy pizza paid off. Customers loved Lots’a Pizza. Soon after the brand took off, Tess resigned from her day job and focused on the business. Ed and Tess have been overseeing the pizza-making process since then. Lots’a Pizza's operates commissaries in Las Pinas, Pampanga, and Cavite. Lots’a Pizza is among the Top Five (5) Pizza Companies in the Philippines and foremost in the Take Out and Quick Serve category.

Franchise-Friendly

In 2000, Lots'a Pizza started expanding. Ed presented the idea of franchising to Tess. Once again, she didn't immediately agree with him. "There were no franchising schools at that time," she reasoned. "Natakot ako na baka hindi maalagaan ang product."

Eventually, Ed was able to convince Tess to give franchising a try. "Kami na ang nag-aral kung paano gagawin ang franchising namin," she said.

The decision to get into franchising proved to be another win for Lots’a Pizza. In fact, its success has been recognized through several awards as Best Franchising Support, Best in Local Franchise, Best in Homegrown Franchise, Most Promising Franchise, Fastest Growing Franchise and finally in The Hall of Fame for franchise awards by Entrepreneur Magazine. And more, Best Business Award from BPI-Family Savings Bank, Aside for being the bank’s Best List of franchisors.

Thriving Amid the Pandemic

In 2020, many businesses had to shut down due to Covid - related restrictions. However, it is worth noting that almost all Lots’a Pizza outlets managed to stay open.

Tess revealed, "The pandemic didn't really stop us. We were only restricted due to the curfew imposed during lockdowns. But we were able to continue our operations. We have a number of outlets that are located in supermarkets. So, when supermarkets opened, they were also allowed to operate." Our take-out and delivery options sustained us during these trying times.

Pizza itself also proved to be resilient because it's something that can be shared with the whole family. It appeals to all age groups — from kids to senior citizens."

The numbers back Tess's statement. Today, it has 130 franchised outlets and 23 company-owned outlets included spread throughout Luzon.

Priceless Advice

These days, though, Tess noted that the market has gotten extremely competitive. Thus, Lots'a Pizza continues to innovate, keep up with trends, marketing and the latest technology. "We haven't stopped learning," said Tess. "We do have an advantage because we are pioneers in our level of business. We have also maintained our integrity, credibility, and the quality of our products. These are things we will never compromise on."

As for Filipinos who are thinking of putting up their own business, Tess advises: "You should know every aspect of your business. You should know how everything is done — be it in Human Resources, Purchasing, and all other departments. You should be able to answer any question about your business immediately. Hindi pwede 'yung tatawag ka pa ng ibang tao to find out what's going on. Kasi mahirap when you don't have full control of your business."

In fact, Tess revealed that her son, Robert, who is now serving as Lots’a Pizza's Vice President/ General Manager started out as a bodega helper. He also had a stint as part of their service crew. After successfully graduating with honors at Ateneo Graduate School’s Masters in Entrepreneurship course, he is adequately prepared to take over.

Looking Forward

That said, Tess likewise said that the company treats its employees like family members. "We want them to feel that this business is also their own. Importante na may malasakit rin sila sa negosyo. I don't see them as mere employees. For those who later move on to other companies, I also want them to use what they learned from us. It would be great if they are also able to start their own businesses," she said.

This year Lots’a Pizza celebrates 35 years of making Pizza a part of every Filipino’s time for bonding and celebrating life’s milestones.

Holiday traditions made more special with El Real

Tweet

Blurb: Traditions are what make the holidays extra special. Make your holiday traditions even happier with these easy tips.

In the Philippines, the Christmas season starts as early as the ‘ber’ months hit and that means that come September, the countdown begins. Normally, Christmas carols can be heard from just about anywhere. Holiday decorations start to be seen in every city and barangay - from the usual lampposts and center islands, all the way to houses fully-decked with blinking colorful lights. Christmas is one of the seasons that Filipinos always look forward to, year after year.

Even though going outdoors for long periods of time or flying out for vacations are not advisable just yet, enjoying the coming holidays with family and loved ones at home continue. Our Christmas traditions remain and, in fact, can still be made more enjoyable and memorable for everyone.

Here are just some ways to make your holiday traditions even merrier:

Noche Buena

Noche Buena is easily everyone’s favorite tradition. Having that “salu-salo” of the family’s favorite dishes has always been an integral part of Filipino Christmas celebration. Bonding over good food and delicious desserts, surrounded by the most important people in one’s life, is what makes for a truly memorable holiday celebration.

And what better way to celebrate the season than with El Real, the pasta that’s packed with iron, protein, fiber, and vitamin-A. While families have their go-to recipes for Noche Buena, they can make this year’s feast extra special by exploring unique dishes from El Real’s Real Pastabilities website. They can discover recipes like Pork Belly Pasta, Pasta Valenciana, and many other pasta dishes that the family will surely love.

Gift Giving

Of course, the highlight of every Christmas celebration are the gifts. The fun starts during the shopping period as people think of the most thoughtful items to give their loved ones. Sometimes they opt to send over home-made food gifts, like a Pizza Pasta or Sushi Bake, to show their appreciation, especially those who can’t celebrate with friends or family in person.

On Christmas day, the joy continues as kids and kids-at-heart excitedly open their gifts. Their smiles and thank-you messages make gift giving all the more worth it.

Make your Noche Buena even more memorable by serving new dishes like this Pizza Pasta and Pasta Valenciana. These and many other recipes are available at El Real’s Real Pastabilities website.

Nightcap

Just seeing the joy, love, and excitement in everyone’s faces, make the celebration all the more worthwhile, memorable, and priceless. Capping off the Christmas eve surrounded by the comfort and warmth of family and loved ones is truly what everyone could ever ask and hope for.

Whether one is going to small home gatherings with family and friends or celebrating virtually, the holiday spirit can still be felt in a lot of ways. It’s all about finding fun ways to show love and appreciation to family and friends this season -- from thoughtful gifts to inventive meals made with El Real pasta.

There are still a few days left to finalize Christmas plans. Make it more special by visiting Real Pastabilities by El Real for recipes that everyone at home will love.

For more information, visit www.realpastabilities.com.

El Real Pasta is a product of Universal Robina Corporation (URC), makers of popular food and beverage brands such as Jack ‘n Jill Pitattos, Nips, Magic Flakes, C2 Cool and Clean and Great Taste Coffee.

CHERRY opens new kiosk at SM City Grand Central

Tweet

CHERRY keeps getting bigger! 

Good news to all its patrons in central Luzon, the local tech brand brings your favorite products a lot closer as it unveils its newest kiosk at SM City Grand Central on November 26, 2021.

The opening was made more enjoyable with the special participation of the brand’s very own, Cosmic. The newly-opened CHERRY kiosk features phones, tablets, mobile accessories, and essentials among others.

To date, there are 11 CHERRY kiosks, 29 Cherry Mobile kiosks, and seven (7) in-shop kiosks nationwide. The brand has also been actively launching Concept Stores, now with 37 Cherry Mobile Concept Stores and eight (8) CHERRY Concept Stores across the country.

Enjoy your Christmas shopping by checking them out at 4th level, Cyberzone, SM Grand Central, Caloocan City. For online purchases, visit Cherry Shop PH at:

Cherry Shop PH: www.cherryshop.com.ph

___________________________________________________________________________________

CHERRY is a Philippine-based company offering an extensive variety of products in communication technology, Internet of Things (IoT) system, home, personal, health and pet essentials, creating one ecosystem. Cherry carries an array of brands and services under its belt: Cherry Mobile, Cherry Prepaid, Cherryroam, Cherry Home, and Cherry Pet.

PLDT Enterprise readies next-gen business solutions for hybrid work setup

Tweet

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the country’s largest fully integrated telecommunications provider PLDT, announced that it is launching several products and solutions next year to deliver the connectivity needs of companies implementing hybrid work arrangements.

By early 2022, PLDT Enterprise is set to unveil new Smart Bro Promo Plans that will provide enterprise-grade 5G fixed wireless connectivity to businesses, enabling users to stay connected while using data-heavy tools and applications.

Vice President & Head of Wireless Marketing for PLDT Enterprise Chet Alviz said that for the upcoming year, PLDT Enterprise is gearing to provide the fastest connection speeds that can support the evolving needs of industries such as BPOs, banking, logistics and transportations, SMEs, and others.

“PLDT Enterprise has been looking into innovations that will help our partners address their common business challenges including connectivity, security, and network infrastructure, among others. We are actively developing solutions that would enable them to maximize their productivity and efficiency while also making their businesses more equipped for a hybrid work setup,” said Alviz.

These solutions will be suited for work-from-home employees across the country who need reliable and high-speed internet connectivity to work anytime, anywhere.

“Now that businesses are transforming into the perimeter-less environment, what they need is an enterprise-grade 5G fixed wireless connection that could sustain their daily workflow even while at home. Since most companies have adopted the work-from-home set-up, we endeavored to develop and provide solutions that empower our employees to stay connected and be productive wherever they are,” Shyr Amador, Head of IoT & Connected Devices for PLDT Enterprise.

Smart Bro provides reliable, high-speed internet connectivity and a flexible internet connection, leveraging on Smart’s nationwide coverage, utilizing LTE and the latest 5G technology. With Smart 5G, users will experience faster and more efficient mobile speeds with lower latency to support their work and digital lifestyle needs.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com.

PH Multi-Channel Commerce Platform developer startup, ChatGenie raises additional investment in recent fundraising campaign

Tweet

The fast-growing startup is currently gearing up for Demo Day with Accelerating Asia, who led the investment round

No stopping. ChatGenie founders Ragde Falcis and Nico Nicomedes Jr. are gearing up to get more investors onboard to scale their startup and serve more clients.

Fast-growing Multi-Channel Commerce Platform development startup company, ChatGenie, reached another milestone by raising additional capital in its recent fundraising campaign as part of Accelerating Asia’s fifth cohort.

The funding it secured will enable ChatGenie to expand its reach in distributing its product to as many merchants as possible. Currently, the pandemic-born startup has provided online payment and automated delivery services to more than 2,500 merchants.

With the increasing demand of online businesses now, the investment will also help ChatGenie to expand its operations by growing its team to cater to more clients and scale its services.

Opportunity in crisis

Founded a month before the pandemic hit the Philippines in 2020, ChatGenie proved its relevance in the market as online businesses thrive with more people setting up online stores. It was included in Forbes Asia's inaugural "100 to Watch" list because of its relevance in the market today.

To date, over 2,500 transactions have been done on Messenger, GCash and Viber using ChatGenie and a total of P150 million worth of transactions have been done via the store platform. It has partnered with a number of notable brands and digital wallet platforms, such as GCash, PayMaya, and PayMongo.

In November 2021, it introduced its MSME Booster Program which aims to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) up to six months of free online store on Messenger, Instagram, Viber, GCash, and other business tools.

They provided Filipino MSMEs who want to try the features of ChatGenie, a 3-month ChatGenie Pro subscription for free to help them digitize their businesses.

Promising position in the market

For the fifth cohort, Accelerating Asia picked 9 startups in Asia, including the Philippines' end-to-end store platform ChatGenie, for its first batch of investments from its US$20 million Fund II.

Accelerating Asia is a Singapore-based early-stage venture capital fund that invests in pre-Series A startups from across Southeast and South Asia. Cohort 5 was Accelerating Asia's most competitive selection to date with 550 applications from 30 countries, of which only 1.5 percent were chosen.

“With retailers across Asia digitising at the fastest rate in history, ChatGenie's platform provides an easy on ramp to potentially millions of businesses to more easily interact with a larger customer base more efficiently. The company's executive team is a perfect fit for executing the business model which is proven by its stellar traction to date. Accelerating Asia is excited to provide support and be an early investor into ChatGenie as it expands across the Philippines and regionally,” Accelerating Asia General Partner Craig Bristol Dixon said.

“Accelerating Asia is a great partner for us in the current stage of our business. They provide us with the tools, network, and mentorship that we need to grow fast,” says Ragde Falcis, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of ChatGenie.PH.

Among the recent investors of ChatGenie are founders of their own startup – Shahab Shababi (MyKuya), Farouk Meralli (mClinica), Saul Molla (FlowerStore), Andrew Koger (GoodWork.PH), George Padin (Abstract Digital), Ray Refundo, Earvin Ang and Paul Cualteros (Qwikwire), Aldrich Tan (NextPay), and Dominick Danao (Magpie.im).

“I firmly believe companies will inevitably adapt to digitalization and AI. This is where ChatGenie will be very beneficial to them, especially when people are looking for convenience.

Convenience with ChatGenie's product will be a game-changer for e-commerce here in the Philippines. A platform where it is easy to purchase goods not only will help the startup ecosystem but also the e-commerce ecosystem here in the country. The timing is perfect for ChatGenie,” said Earvin Ang, Co-Founder and President of Global Real Estate Solutions Startup, Aqwire, on why he invested in ChatGenie.

Shabab Shababi, Founder of MyKuya and CEO of Machine Ventures, see’s ChatGenie’s recent success is a source of inspiration for PH startups to come up with innovative solutions to solve existing market problems.

“The pandemic has exposed the areas of our economy that need to be made more resilient. For that we need to simplify the way products and services are offered & make it more efficient. While our venture, MyKuya does that for the services industry, we saw ChatGenie covering this gap for the product sellers in the country. We need a new mindset for this new world and we are excited for ChatGenie to empower every product seller in the country,” said Shabab.

Looking ahead

In 2022, ChatGenie hopes to partner with more brands so it could provide its services to businesses that are thriving online.

“So far we have been able to partner with one of the biggest telecommunication companies to upsell our product to its business clients. We are looking for more partnerships like this where we can help their existing merchants grow while increasing the value that our partners provide,” says Falcis.

ChatGenie is now gearing up for its next online demo day on December 16 this year as part of Accelerating Asia’s Accelerator Program. It hopes to lure more investors in its next fundraising campaign.

“We accepted ChatGenie in the INQBATION: Leveling up B2B Startups 6-month program because we saw how much they grew during the incubation period so we were attracted to consider them for investment,” said Ben Alderson, Senior Head of Strategy and Investments of QBO Innovation Hub and Ideaspace Foundation Inc.

“We see ChatGenie continuing to grow customer adoption of their core product, adding additional features that make it easier for their users to operate their MSME businesses and expanding to new markets throughout SEA and potentially even further afield,” he added.

If you wish to invest in one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing startups, check out their website and contact them by visiting this link.