Do you need help in Looking For a Site for your foodcart business?

It's so hard to look for a Site or Pwesto (signazon.com)

  I am offering assistance in helping you look for a site or "pwesto" for your foodcart business within Metro Manila.

1.  My fee is only P4,000 Non-refundable and payable in full upon engagement during our initial meeting (i.e. before tripping to the site).

2.  Within 7 days, we will advice you of 3 possible sites for your foodcart business.  (Please note because of competitiveness, sites are on a first come-first serve basis).

  We advice that you do not be late during the scheduled time of tripping to allow time to visit all 3 sites within the same day.  Transportation costs from the meeting place to the site shall be for the client's account.

I don't have the time to look.  (signazon.com)

3.  After each site visited, my site locator will request you to initial the Trip Ticket. 

4.  While at the site, we will introduce you to the property owner (landlord) for you to discuss the terms and conditions of the lease. 

5.  Because of our low fee, we unfortunately cannot entertain specific requests such as only sites within a certain city or rent within a certain price range as these conditions would entail a longer search time and higher overhead expenses on our part.

6.  In the event none of the 3 sites meet your preference, we cannot refund any part of our fee as expenses have already been incurred on our part.

7.  The above conditions and terms may change in the future. 

Should you be interested, please text "Foodcart Site" and your full name to 0922-8831225.  Hope to see you guys.

If you want to request for further information, send me a message or comment on the above post, please kindly click the "comment" button below this post.

As a NEW FEATURE ON MY NEW BLOG, I am conducting a Reader Survey on "Is Scramble a Fad?". On the Top Right part of this blog is my Survey Poll. Please click your choice and then click "Vote" button.

To see the results of the survey todate, just click the “Show Result” button

Can't Find a Good Location? Why Not Try a Site Locator?

There are so many foodcart franchises to choose from but the BIGGEST PROBLEM IS FINDING A GOOD LOCATION.

It seems all the good spots in the Top 3 Malls (SM, Robinson's, Ayala Malls) are already taken by the name-brand franchises as company-owned outlets.  And even if you could find a spot, the Mall Leasing Departments reserve the right to transfer you anywhere in their mall and charge you High rents and CUSAs.

A friend of mine who operates a lotto outlet in an Ayala Mall has had to transfer 4 times already!

If you are thinking of Roadsides such as schools, terminals and others, it is also difficult to track down the owners of these commercial spaces.

With all these difficulties, you might consider hiring the services of a SITE LOCATOR.

Because it is their livelihood, they have their networks of commercial space owners who immediately inform them of any vacancies.

I have encountered 2 such Site Locators with varying Service Fees:

1.  You pay them the equivalent of one-month's rent of the intended site;

2.  You pay them P5,000 down and P5,000 upon Site Visit;

3.  The Landlord pays the Site Locator.  In which case, you might want to give a Gratuity to the Site Locator instead.

If you want to request for further information, send me a message or comment on the above post, please kindly click the "comment" button below this post.

As a NEW FEATURE ON MY NEW BLOG, I am conducting a Reader Survey on "What You Think Is The Hottest Small Business in Manila today". On the Top Right part of this blog is my Survey Poll. Please click your choice as the Best Small Business in Manila and then click "Vote" button.

To see the results of the survey todate, just click the “Show Result” button

Location 101: Bus Terminals

Mister Donut on the side

  If you pass by the Cubao Area right after Farmer's Market going towards Kamuning in Quezon City (North of Manila), you will notice that the area after the intersection of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard is bounded by bus terminals on both sides of the road.

Paslaubong(Take Home) products on display

  There's Victory Lines, Genesis, Five Star, Baliwag Transit and more.

Dunkin Donut and Pao Express (Dimsum)

  And it almost all the bus terminals, there will always be a donut (Dunkin Donut, Mister Donut), siopao and some other quick snacks.

If you want to request for further information, send me a message or comment on the above post, please kindly click the "comment" button below this post.

As a NEW FEATURE ON MY NEW BLOG, I am conducting a Reader Survey on "What You Think Is The Hottest Small Business in Manila today". On the Top Right part of this blog is my Survey Poll. Please click your choice as the Best Small Business in Manila and then click "Vote" button.

To see the results of the survey todate, just click the “Show Result” button

Get a Mister Donut Franchise and Sell Almost P50,000 in One Day!!!!

(Courtesy of Mister Donut)

Today, I visited a commercial area in Metro Manila and I saw there were several Mister Donut shops in the area.  One of the Mister Donut shops was near Buses, FX shuttles and other public transport. IMAGINE SALES WOULD REACH about P50,000 in just one day.

New Mister Donut Cart-type (from their Website)

It seems Mister Donut sells more to commuters on the way home (as pasalubong or Take-Home goodies for the kids) rather than dine-ins.

One of the biggest Mister Donut shops is the one at the Trinoma. They have a great location overlooking the activity center and right along the passageway from the MRT NOrth Avenue station leading to Trinoma.

In certain areas, Mister Donut beats Dunkin Donut as Mister Donut sells at P10/pc versus P12/pc for the latter.  At P10/pc, Mister Donut is able to defend against Hapi House Donuts too which sells for the same price.

Returns Allowance of Mister Donut is 8% which means if their unsold donuts is less than 8%, the franchisee earns more on the difference.

The last think I like about Mister Donut is their Innovation. The Mister Donut shop does not sell only donuts--- they sell other meals too!!  

Franchise of Mister Donut for the cart type is P220,000 and minimum total investment of P500,000.  Quite high too.

If you want to request for further information, send me a message or comment on the above post, please kindly click the "comment" button below this post.

As a NEW FEATURE ON MY NEW BLOG, I am conducting a Reader Survey on "What You Think Is The Hottest Small Business in Manila today". On the Top Right part of this blog is my Survey Poll. Please click your choice as the Best Small Business in Manila and then click "Vote" button.

To see the results of the survey todate, just click the “Show Result” button

When the Mall Tells You to Move Your Lotto Outlet, You Move

It's been 7 days since we had to move our Lotto outlet from a high-traffic space to a very-low traffic space and I can tell you it has been a nerve-wracking 7 days.

There are 5 other Lotto Outlets within 50 meters from where I am and I was worried shit (pardon the expression) that all my customers would not know where I am or not approve of my new site and MOVE TO MY COMPETITORS!.

Here are my notes:

1. Despite a very visible tarpaulin spider standee at my former site stating "LOTTO PLAY HERE. MOVED TO FRONT OF METROBANK AND NATIONAL BOOKSTORE" and a very visible ARROW sign right smack in the middle of the tarp, very few people notices the signage.

2. It's been 7 days and I still have loyal customers still telling me they cannot find my lotto outlet or they had to roam the floors of the mall before they found my lotto outlet.

3. Most effective method was when they asked the Roving Mall Guard who pointed them where my lotto outlet is.

4. Next most effective method to locate my lotto outlet is when I, my physical body, stood at the former site and giving out Lotto Playslip Cards. I BECAME MY OWN HUMAN TARPAULIN STANDEE.

5. Since my loyal Lotto customers got used to seeing me drinking countless cups of coffee at the Red Ribbon Resto across my former lotto site, I decided to eat lunch everyday there in plain view of all and my customers would approach me and ask, "Where is your Lotto???". (p.s. I gained obscene wait doing this.)

6. I also escort my lotto customers and even help them carry their shopping bags just to make sure they do not get lost looking for my lotto outlet.

Is Locating at the LRT Worth the Rent???

As I was on looking for possible food cart locations, I started looking around the LRT stations for Locations and here is what I noted while at the LRT Carriedo and new Balintawak Stations, to wit:

1. Rent is maybe P24,000 per month and up



2. People are in a hurry to ride or disembark that I do not know if there is still time for them to eat at the many food carts there



(many people but do they have time to buy what you are selling??)

3. Peak hours are 5am to 9am while the rest of the day seem pretty dull



(few students on weekends equals poor sales?)

4. Since most riders are students, expect very poor traffic on weekends


(are people in a hurry to leave the LRT station?)

5. Logistics-wise, bit hard as no water and sewer lines i.e you have to bring your own drinking and washing water containers up and down the flights of stairs

6. Note one Scramble outlet had to pull-out of one of the LRT stations after a few days, poor sales was the reason.

The Scramble Business is Scrambling a Lot of Heads of Small Businessmen

Last week, it was Icebreaker. This week, its Buzz Box or Buz Box Scramble (which ever way you call them). What I am referring to are the search words my readers use to arrive at my blog.

Just like Icebreaker, BuzzBox Scramble is not into franchising. So far, it is only the provincial-based Scramble King that is accepting franchising (see my blog post at http://wp.me/pBaHK-9F).



It seems the heavy-weights in the Scramble business are busy setting-up franchises in the choice spaces namely SM, Robinson's, Puregold and other mall chains.

I am worried that I also plan to have a Scramble franchise but I may locked-out of most of the good locations. Poor me.

Cheap but Delicious: Roadside BBQ Resto

My friend Vangie sent me a couple of SMSs today about a Roadside BBQ restaurant that has been packing in the motorists:

1. They serve BBQs like squid, chicken, pork loin & other meats and served with Java rice ( just like other BBQ stands) but what makes them standout is the SAUCE.

2. Customers are the Class B, C and D travelling their part of Cavite (southeast of Manila)

3. The structure is not even made of concrete hollow blocks but rather a patchwork of different pieces of wood nailed together.

4. There are wooden tables and seats all around.

5. The owner has 4 boys who do the BBQing, cleaning etc.

6. Vangie thinks the owner probably did not spend a lot in investment.

7. The restaurant is surrounded by rice fields (so nothing spectacular)


What do you think?

Buzz Box Scramble: The Other Scramble

I went to the Megamall Bldg A Foodcourt in search of other Scrambles and at the center I saw the Buzz Box Scramble. I bought a cup of their Scramble without the Add-ons versus Icebreaker Scramble and here are my first impressions:

1. There are 8 company-owned outlets

2. The crew said they do not franchise

3. The booth is quite attractive even from a distance

4. Students passing-by would stop at the Buzz Box Scramble outlet

5. The base is not as creamy (more icy) than Icebreaker

6. It has the same strawberry flavor but tasted weaker or bland

7. Not as sweet as Icebreaker (which may be a good or a bad thing)

8. Appearance almost the same but Icebreaker looks stronger visually

9. Powder milk of Icebreaker tastes a lot better

Which brings up a point, with so many scrambles appearing with varying quality, wont the bad scrambles ruin the scramble market?

Wont the customers tire easily with so many offering the same especially if all use the same strawberry base?

Icebreaker Scramble will soon be opening in Megamall. We shall see if the customers can differentiate between the two. . . .

Buzz Box Scramble: The Other Scramble

I went to the Megamall Bldg A Foodcourt in search of other Scrambles and at the center I saw the Buzz Box Scramble. I bought a cup of their Scramble without the Add-ons versus Icebreaker Scramble and here are my first impressions:

1. There are 8 company-owned outlets

2. The crew said they do not franchise

3. The booth is quite attractive even from a distance

4. Students passing-by would stop at the Buzz Box Scramble outlet

5. The base is not as creamy (more icy) than Icebreaker

6. It has the same strawberry flavor but tasted weaker or bland

7. Not as sweet as Icebreaker (which may be a good or a bad thing)

8. Appearance almost the same but Icebreaker looks stronger visually

9. Powder milk of Icebreaker tastes a lot better

Which brings up a point, with so many scrambles appearing with varying quality, wont the bad scrambles ruin the scramble market?

Wont the customers tire easily with so many offering the same especially if all use the same strawberry base?

Icebreaker Scramble will soon be opening in Megamall. We shall see if the customers can differentiate between the two. . . .

Why Should You Pick the Right Mall?

I was in a Sushi Restaurant in a new Mall in north of Manila. I met my friend who is planning to set-up a FX Terminal (see next post below). After the meeting, I stayed behind as I wanted to talk to the Restaurant crew considering we were the only customers and it was just lunch time!!!

The mall has been operating a few months and main customers consist mostly of agents from the nearby Call Center. The mall has a good assortment of food chains (all the big players and not-so-big players) present.

Before, the Sushi Restaurant was one of the early locators and because of the good sales, they started with a crew of 8. Prices range from budget meal of P69/serving to more than P100 for the other Japanese food dishes. That was before.......

When Mang Inasal Restaurant opened and offered their BBQ chicken at P49/serving, the Sushi Restaurant had to reduce their crew from 8 to just 3 guys. They wanted to do delivery service to the Call Center but they just cannot afford the manpower.

Most of the Mall locators are in food and they have built an open area to house more upscale restaurants. The tenant is hoping the mall could try to drum up activities and events to attract a bigger variety of customers.

It remains to be seen how long they can hang-on.

A Small Business Owner's Nightmare: Yikes!!! My Landlord Did Not Renew My Lease. He Wants My Business!!!!

When my friend decided to set-up his own PCSO Lotto Outlet somewhere East of Manila, he did not think there would be any problems when he rented a space in the house of his landlord.

After all, for the past 2 years relations with his landlord were quiet though the business was not really doing well. Then, business started to pick-up and when the Lotto Jackpot hit P347 Million about a year ago, lines started to form outside his small Lotto outlet. It was a time to rejoice but little did he know this was the start of his problems.

You see, when it came time to renew his lease, he was surprised when his landlord told him he will not be renewind the Lease as he needed the space. Then, my friend discovered that the very same landlord applied with the PCSO for a Lotto outlet at the very spot where he was located and he hit the ceiling!!

The good thing is that my friend holds the Contract of Agency for the Lotto Outlet in that area and nobody can set-up another Lotto Outlet unless he cancels his Contract.

To cut the story short, my friend still has his lotto outlet but now pays a higher rent. A Happy Ending but not exactly.

For all small business owners, how often do we feel that we at the mercy of our landlords???? One Lotto customer told me that the only to do business is to own the land where your business sits on but WHAT IF WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY THE LAND?

Siomai, Donut, Fries, Waffles?? Is That All???

Except for the above three, are there any other new food cart ideas that can make money in the mall?

When I ask people what business is good to set-up, they always say "Food" and in most cases, they could be correct But I noticed a trend among malls where they do not bother to zone tenants or control tenants selling like-items so much so that tenants cannibalize each other's sales to the point that the business is no longer worth the risk.

In looking for the best location, you may have to check the UNWRITTEN POLICIES of the mall owner as to zone, competition, limits to similar-item tenants and other similar factors before signing on the Contract of Lease.

Setting-up Lotto Outlet in a Stand-Alone Supermarket???

A Lotto customer of mine (who happens to be a former Logistics Manager of a foreign Telecom Equipment supplier in the Philippines) was asking me of the viability of setting-up a Lotto Outlet in a newly-opened Stand-alone Supermarket and I told him the ff:

1. The supermarket in question is about 50 to 80 meters away from the Main road intersection which means people going there do so because they need to grocery;

2. People getting off buses and jeepneys at the intersection may not necessarily want to walk the distance to the supermarket unless they need to grocery;

3. In the supermarket, there are no other crowd drawers like cinemas, known fast-food restaurants, video arcades and the like. People just go there to shop.

4. When it rains which is half the year, all the more people will not walk to go there;

5. There is an island break to allow cars to make a U-turn after going to the supermarket. Because the U-turn slot is so near the intersection, cars tend to get locked in traffic just after a Green Light because of cars attempting to rreach the U-turn slot from the supermarket. There may be a chance in the future that that U-turn slot may be relocated further down the road to ease the congestion in the area.

6. It would seem that your target market will only be people who grocery. People with loaded pushcarts may not want to line-up at the lotto outlet. Is there enough shoppers interested in playing the lotto?

That will be a question any would-be lotto agent should ask himself no matter how seemingly attractive the site may be is can the site generate enough Sales especially since the rent is near the P30,000/month level.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PICKING THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR YOUR LOTTO OUTLET, text Lotto Setup and your full name to 0922-8831225.

Believe it or Not::: It is Still Possible to Set-up a Lotto Outlet in Metro Manila

Many prospective Lotto entrepreneurs have found their Lotto Application rejected for the reason that Metro Manila is ALREADY SATURATED. Totoo ba yun DI NA PWEDE? Is it true LOTTO APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED ??????

My fellow agent who already operates a Lotto outlet in Quezon City just told me yesterday that she is about to start her new Lotto Outlet in the Cubao Area, Quezon City this week and from how she described it, it is a BEAUTY--- Lots of pedestrian traffic, very commercial area and wonderful.


You too can also put up your own Lotto outlet but you have to know how...... especially with the changes in territorial protection between lotto outlets.


I offer Consultation on Selecting the Site and Preparing your Lotto Application. If you are interested, please text LOTTO SETUP and send to 0922-8831225.

Do you mean Territorial Protection or Zoning Protection?

When we talk about getting a franchise, we talk about TERRITORIAL PROTECTION but what is it really and does it mean anything nowadays?

Territorial Protection is when the franchisor supposedly guarantees that they will not locate a similar franchisee near your site. In most cases, the franchisor does honor this but does it really mean anything when negotiating with a Mall Leasing Manager for space?

A more important Protection is Zoning Protection of the Mall, to wit:

1. At the SM annex basement, Mister Donut, Pianini (breads), a coffee shop and a waffle stall are all selling coffee and yet they are all within 5 steps of each other.

2. At the Ayala MRT station, the Siomai House (Number 1 siomai kiosk) and the Master Siomai (Number 2, maybe) are practically opposite each other.

3. In a Manila mall, Milko Ice cream (retail P12/cone) used to be the only ice cream dealer has now Mang Inasal BBQ chicken selling Pinoy Ice Cream at P10. That does not include the times when Selecta Ice Cream would promote their Ice Cream brand at P5/cone.
(Milko said that their sales has gone down by about 50% and they are the longest staying ice cream kiosk).

4. Sometimes having the best tasting, best quality, most unique flavors and best of everything is still not enough to do battle with the cheapest. An example is Gonuts Donuts (premium, expensive) versus Dunkin Donuts at P10/P12 a donut.

5. Don't worry so much about territorial protection as much as you should about what I call Zoning Protection!!!!

Should We Avoid High-Rent Commercial Spaces?

I read in the Papers of an Interview with the young owner of one of the largest Supermarket chains in the Philippines and the topic was of the ever-spiraling costs of commercial spaces in the country.

The interviewee is probably the third generation of family owners of the prestigious supermarket and department store chains and he had this to say:

1. Between choosing a Low-traffic, Low-rent space versus a High-Traffic High-rent space, he would always go for the High traffic, High-rent space;

2. In the Low-traffic, Low-rent space, the market is not there and is difficult to create traffic from almost nothing. In such a scenario, it is already a lost;

3. At least in the High-traffic, High-rent space, the market is there and you have equal chance of making it or not.

I would have to agree with him because:

a. Demand may be so strong as to more than cover the fixed amount of rent

b. You could try to be more efficient and bring down other operating expenses

c. The Location may be so strategic that the small business owner may even grab market share from his competitors in the area due to

--- Convenience (shorter walking distance for the customer)

--- Comfort (you have air-conditioning; others do not)

--- Security (If most of your customers are office workers who
can only shop after dark; your Location may have a BIG EDGE
because it is well-lighted, many passers-by & with mall
guards visibly patrolling your area)


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD LOCATION WITH A CHEAP RENT.

Should We Avoid High-Rent Commercial Spaces?

I read in the Papers of an Interview with the young owner of one of the largest Supermarket chains in the Philippines and the topic was of the ever-spiraling costs of commercial spaces in the country.

The interviewee is probably the third generation of family owners of the prestigious supermarket and department store chains and he had this to say:

1. Between choosing a Low-traffic, Low-rent space versus a High-Traffic High-rent space, he would always go for the High traffic, High-rent space;

2. In the Low-traffic, Low-rent space, the market is not there and is difficult to create traffic from almost nothing. In such a scenario, it is already a lost;

3. At least in the High-traffic, High-rent space, the market is there and you have equal chance of making it or not.

I would have to agree with him because:

a. Demand may be so strong as to more than cover the fixed amount of rent

b. You could try to be more efficient and bring down other operating expenses

c. The Location may be so strategic that the small business owner may even grab market share from his competitors in the area due to

--- Convenience (shorter walking distance for the customer)

--- Comfort (you have air-conditioning; others do not)

--- Security (If most of your customers are office workers who
can only shop after dark; your Location may have a BIG EDGE
because it is well-lighted, many passers-by & with mall
guards visibly patrolling your area)


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD LOCATION WITH A CHEAP RENT.