Homegrown restaurant chain, Kuya J, looks to add at least 10 more to its stable of franchise diners this year under an expansion plan designed to sustain sales growth averaging 20 percent each year.
Two of its most senior officers bared this plan Tuesday, saying the expansion will further its footprint in the dining industry even as this brings to the table an all-Filipino experience that is uniquely Kuya J.
According to Carlo Fajardo, chief operations officer, the intent is to offer the diner local cuisine served inside a Filipino aesthetic dining interior.
“We are excited more than ever to bring Kuya J’s bestselling crispy pata, kaldereta, beef bulalo, kare-kare, and ube halo-halo, and more of our specialty dishes to many other locations for the enjoyment of more Filipinos as well as tourists from around the world,” said Carlo Fajardo, Chief Operations Officer of Kuya J Group Franchise Division.
The Kuya J brand has more than 86 branches to date. It had more than one hundred before the pandemic struck when the restaurant business as a whole downsized their operations as customers went online and had their food delivered instead, Fajardo said.
Fast forward to present time, he said Filipinos quickly reverted to dining out with family and friends as mobility restrictions were lifted and in-store dining pushed the industry forward another time.
Fajardo said any committed entrepreneur may get a Kuya J franchise provided they are willing to undergo a period of training meant to standardize not only the menu serve but the quality of service delivered at each franchised unit.
This is why adding new franchisees takes time to add up as the training period typically lasts around six months, he said.
Fajardo said the future franchisee will benefit from the brand’s refined operations, its world-class support, and more importantly, the top-quality food, service, and store design that are uniquely Kuya J’s.
Kuya J restaurants proudly carry the Filipino culture of food and celebrations.
“At Kuya J restaurant, we value local traditions and customs, which is why we use only homegrown and locally sourced ingredients in our menu offerings, and provide diners with an exceptional dining experience in a space that’s truly Filipino,” he continued.
Fajardo said celebrations that Filipinos fondly do in restaurants are valued at Kuya J through its all-Filipino kitchen creations and aesthetic interiors accentuated with Filipino elements like solihiya furniture pieces and wall accents.
“At Kuya J, diners enjoy five-star quality food and service at a two-star price.”
From a hole-in-the-wall eatery in Cebu that gained the approval of local diners’ palate, Kuya J today is a favorite bonding hub of families and groups. It has since brought its brand to a level ripe for further expansion as it plans to open more stores in the coming years.
“Saan ka banda? Baka malapit lang si Kuya,” said Fajardo, speaking of Kuya J’s reach today since its small beginnings in Cebu in 2012.
