A BUSINESS to last for 30 years in the food industry is a milestone that should be celebrated. Being in the business of delivering quality food is no joke, especially for someone like Jonathan Gesalem, who has, for the past three decades, experienced all the ins and outs and ups and downs of running a food business.
“For a person who has been in the industry for 30 years, we have seen the whole stretch and it was exciting,” Jonathan said.
As the chief operating officer of the Queen City Food Chain Inc., which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary as the biggest franchisee of the famous donut brand, Dunkin’ Donuts, he definitely has seen how the food industry in Cebu has grown since he put up their first store in Fuente Osmeña on Dec. 15, 1986.
Seventy-plus branches later, the company has gone through so many changes—as they should.
“It’s no longer a joke to run a food business. You really have to be innovative or else you cannot survive in this industry. You have to be aggressive,” Jonathan explained.
During the 1980s, according to Jonathan, the design, marketing strategy and overall concept of a store could last a five-year cycle. By the ‘90s, it got down to three years; in the 2000s it became two years, and today, the average running time of a marketing strategy could only last about three to six months.
“You have to redesign or put up a new location every cycle. That’s why a lot of food chains died down because they did not go through the trend,” said Jonathan. For him, what made his company last for 30 years is its chameleon-like ability to keep up the brand.
“Keep up the pace of the concepts of the store. You keep up the pace of the need of the market. What is the need right now of the market? If it likes cold coffee, we come up with that,” he said.
He says that by keeping up with the trends—meaning that the brand is always changing up its design, strategies and training—it has kept a steady pace at maintaining success.
And even with the arrival of other donut brands, Dunkin’ Donuts remains to be a strong competitor. That’s because Jonathan believes that when you are in the food business, quality is key.
“Also, the trending of the product should always be developed. Always go with the trend,” he said. “And you need to be innovative in business. You need to be in the same pace or else you’ll get left behind.”
Today, Dunkin’ Donuts Cebu has expanded to over 70 branches in Cebu and also has branches in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Butuan and Bohol. On its 30th year, it will focus on developing more premium drinks and looking at a café design as its new concept. Dunkin’ Donuts will surely keep on exciting Filipinos as it keeps on keeping up with the trends for more years to come.