How to make it big in food business: Foodee COO Eric Dee shares recipe for success
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino restaurant chain Mesa is targeting to open its 100th branch this year, including stores in Los Angeles and Honolulu in the U.S., Eric Dee, Chief Operating Officer of FooDee Global Concepts, the company behind Mesa, told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.
“Well, it sounds cliché, but of course, hard work, but of course we are a franchise, so we thank our franchise partners that help us create and take care of our brands nationwide,” he said on what makes their company successful that is now on the verge of a “very aggressive” expansion.
What makes Mesa’s food different from other Filipino restaurants, he said, is that it is what they call “glamorized Filipino food.”
“It's made with heart,” he affirmed, “If you look at our food, it's your typical Filipino food with our own little twist, but we don't change its originality, in fact, we define it as glamorized Filipino food. We stay true to its flavor and its originality, but we just present it in a way that might be less intimidating.”
Besides hard work and a unique business proposition, instrumental to the restaurant chain’s success is its collaborations, just like its tie-up with Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI), which was recently sealed with a launch in the restaurant’s Greenbelt branch.
PCPPI, the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country, has officially partnered with Mesa to bring a more elevated and enjoyable dining experience to Filipino consumers. Dubbed, “Mas MESA-rap Maiba with Pepsi,” this collaboration unites the restaurant’s modern interpretation of traditional Filipino cuisine with the beverage company’s diverse beverage portfolio. Together, they aim to offer a well-rounded dining experience that celebrates Filipino culinary heritage while responding to the evolving tastes of today’s consumers.
“What makes this partnership very memorable and momentous is it is our first time working with an exclusive partner. We're also very excited because this was a project I think almost two years in the making, so it wasn't done overnight. It was a discussion that we had with Pepsi for a while and of course, the reason why we wanted this because we are like-minded companies and we’re growing nationwide with about 80 stores. We're helping create that demand IN getting Pepsi in every corner. You'll definitely see (these drinks) across the board in all 80 stores as we grow to 100 stores by the end of the year,” Dee explained.
“A lot of our growth is provincial right now… we see a lot of growth in the provincial areas of the Philippines, and most of our growth and expansion is actually in the provinces.”
According to PCPPI Chief Commercial Officer Lyndon Cuadra, what makes the partnership “very momentous” is because both companies share the passion for innovation.
“There's a lot of awards that they gathered over the years and the food is traditional but very innovative and it's just like Pepsi,” he said.
For those who also want to make it big in the food business, Dee’s advice is to “know what industry you're getting into.”
“Restaurants seem glamorous at the front, but handling it is, very tedious,” he confessed.
“It takes a lot of time and effort and focus, and that's why we're still here in the restaurants making sure that, you know, it's always like what Pepsi said, innovation. Mesa has been in existence since 2009, so we are considered not that young, but of course, we want to be young enough for the new generation. So as you see, we updated the design, updated the menu constantly and not stuck to where we were back in 2009.”
