INSTEAD of joining their family businesses, three childhood buddies opted to make a name for themselves by venturing into the food business.
Last year, David Santos, Andrew Aseniero and Gino Ortiz, pooled in P7,000 each to join Banilad Town Center's (BTC) Weekend Market, selling their own version of chicken wings, which later on became a hit and a sought-after dish in food bazaars.
"After BTC's Weekend Market, we then hopped from one food bazaar to another to introduce our chicken wings. Luckily, wherever we go, we're able to earn good customer following," said Aseniero, who handles the operations of Badboys Wingz Restaurant.
Participating in a three-day food fair earned for them P24,000 to P28,000 in weeklysales.
Due to increasing customer traffic and public clamor to have a permanent dining area, Aseniero said the group accepted the invitation of a friend to occupy the space vacated by a former tenant in a little commercial strip across BRIGHT Academy in Banilad.
"It wasn't really planned but when we saw the location, we saw the potential because it's near schools and offices," he said.
The group spent P300,000 to set-up the dining outlet, an amount they were able to accumulate from the profits they earned joining food bazaars.
Last March, the team started its commercial operation and reported a surge in sales.
"We were able to earn gross sales of P100,000 during our first month," said Aseniero.
Although a new player in the food scene here, Ortiz who is a chef and in charge of the kitchen, said a business like theirs has a chance to thrive because of the quality of food and excellent service they render to their customers.
"What makes us different is that we remained hands-on in the business. While I cook, David and Andrew, do their roles also. One handles the cash register and the other helps in customer service. We are new and we really have a lot to learn," said Ortiz, whose family is also into food.
"We come here every day," Santos added.
The team also hired four employees to help them run Badboys Wingz Restaurant, which operates from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
While Santos admitted it is too early to branch out, he disclosed the team is always open to opportunities.
"We plan to open one next year, but we are still doing market scanning. The aim of the group is to really put everything in place here before we branch out," he said. "We hope to grow big someday."