By Lorenz S. Marasigan
Eduardo’s Peri-Peri, a casual-dining restaurant in the Philippines, is planning to expand its branches to as much as 200 in a matter of five years, as it opens up its business to franchising.
Ed Viterbo, the president of the company, said his company’s target is to add more restaurants inside malls all over the Philippines.
“Our target, conservatively, is somewhere in a hundred. But optimistically, it is about 200. We will work somewhere between those two figures,” he said.
Currently, there are two existing branches of Eduardo’s in Metro Manila.
“Three are lined up in the next few months,” said Joseph Calata, who is Viterbo’s business partner in this venture.
Calata owns listed agricultural firm Calata Corp.
Eduardo’s, according to its executives, offers fast-food prices at a higher quality. Its bestsellers are the peri-peri, which is a Portuguese-style flame-grilled chicken, and the baby back ribs.
“We are offering something of higher quality at an affordable price. The partnership with Calata Corp. helps us keep the costs low, thereby passing on the savings to our customers,” Viterbo said.
Calata Corp. is mainly involved in livestock and agricultural business, with three operating segments, namely: distribution, retail and farming.
Currently, it distributes animal feeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals, soya, and seeds and other products. Its retail operation is carried out through Agri Phil Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary.
Viterbo said his group plans to improve the operations of company-owned Eduardo’s branches before expanding the business to franchising. Although the company, he said, is already open to franshisees.
A franchise of Eduardo’s is pegged at about P8 million.
“The franchise side will depend on the success of the company-owned branches. We will use that as a model for them to follow, showing them that it is a sustainable business model,” he said.
Calata added that his group’s plan is to expand internationally eventually, with interests coming in as early as now from a neighboring Asean country.
“Our plan is to be the biggest chain of peri-peri in the Philippines, and expand our business overseas eventually. At the moment, we will consolidate our operations here in the Philippines,” he said.