The man behind

EDGAR SIA II and his SUCCESS!

Have you been in MANG INASAL?

Most of us here (specially in regional areas) has obviously tasted the finest chicken barbecue and availed their unlimited rice offering.Am I Right?The man behind the success of Mang Inasal is no other than Mr. Edgar Sia II.

Edgar "Injap" Sia II is the man behind Mang Inasal, one of the fastest growing food companies in the Philippines, which has become a modern icon of the Ilonggo culinary culture.

His parents gave him the nickname “INJAP” because “Sia” is originally from China while “Jaruda”, his mother's name, is originally from Japan. “INJAP” stands for Intsik-Japan. His parents are businesspersons and it was expected that he take up some business-related course in college.

But he took up Architecture instead.

Let me highlight his life story and his venture.

•He worked on their family own grocery store as cashier, stacking merchandise, taking inventories or manning the counter after school. at age of 10.

•He studied architecture in University of St. Augustine Iloilo but dropped out a year short before graduating.

•His early business ventures are express photo shop, Laundromat and small budget hotel. All these are based in ILOILO.

•Sia's first taste of running a business was when he was 20 years old.

Born into a family of Chinese-Filipino entrepreneurs, he was exposed to business from a very young age.

The family store became the training ground that cultivated Mr. Sia’s drive for success.

•By 2009, Mang Inasal has 100 stores.

•In 2003, Sia opened the first Mang Inasal on a mall parking lot. With P2.4 million of borrowed money, he started the MANG INASAL venture.

Then, he cooked up the idea of operating Mang Inasal, the specialty of which, is grilled chicken. It opened on December 12, 2003.

Today, Mang Inasal has 422 outlets nationwide and has even overtaken McDonald.

Founder Is “The Youngest Filipino Billionaire”

Who would have thought that then a 26-year old college dropout will become the youngest Filipino billionaire…

The springboard for Edgar Sia to be on the list started when Jollibee’s Tony Tan Caktiong bought 70% of Mang Inasal for P3 billion. A great breakthrough for Edgar Sia, who founded his multi-million barbecue chain in Roxas City. The deal earned Sia a spot among the Philippines’ wealthiest for the first time this year.

But the story doesn’t end there. Edgar Sia together with his brother Ferdinand and sister Rizza retains the 30% stake in Mang Inasal.

IN JUST 8 YEARS?

YOUNG “PROBINSIYANO” ENTREPRENEUR SHOWS THE WAY

The Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world with over 90 million mouths to feed. Without a doubt, getting into the food business remains a very viable opportunity for entrepreneurs. But with so many players, how does one stand out to be noticed? More importantly, how can another food business make it big time?

Edgar “Injap” J. Sia II answered these questions by conducting his research in a very methodical manner. He looked at the 16 different regions in the Philippines and recognized that each has a unique set of culinary traditions and eating habits. He then analyzed and identified what type of food would have the most potential and mass appeal. This was the ubiquitous barbecue (inasal in Ilonggo).

Secrets to SUCCESS

He also cites the UNIQUENESS that allowed him to beat the odds as a new player in the fast food industry.

Sia considers sheer hard work and innovation as the primary reasons of Mang Inasal’s success.

While he listens to his instinct, Sia is very calculated and strategic in his approach to business. He firmly believes in hard work and perseverance, and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to do the same.

The phenomenal growth is due to a totality of factors including:

Secrets to SUCCESS

good business concept quality of food

affordable pricing and effective expansion marketing strategy

But the X FACTOR which has made all these happen is the blessing from God, Sia says

He also urges them to believe in their capacity to make their dreams come true, saying “Nothing is impossible with the right attitude. Do not be intimidated by problems. Instead, look at them as opportunities for growth. I was lucky to acquire the right entrepreneurial attitude as a young boy. You could say I developed the right asal (behavior) for inasal,” he quips.

Mang Inasal owner shares pain of “LETTING GO” 

That Jollibee will be paying P3 Billion for a 70% stake in Mang Inasal has made Sia “a very successful businessman,” according to bloggers and online commentators. The buying price of Jollibee, which courted Sia for the transaction, values the entire Mang Inasal business at P4.3 billion. Not a bad deal for a business that has an estimated annual total revenues of P2.6 billion and system wide sales of P3.8 billion.

In a letter to his “Mang Inasal Family,” Edgar Injap Sia II expressed “deep sadness” like a “father parting with his child” as he hands over the care of the restaurant to the giant conglomerate.

MANILA, Philippines – The owner of Mang Inasal Philippines Inc., which was recently sold to giant JOLIBEE FOOD CORP., said letting go of his chicken-based business was “painful.”

Thus, despite the pain and the deep sadness, Sia said he is “ecstatic and in high spirits” since the future of his “7-year old child…is secured and filled with great optimism.”

Mang Inasal's founder Edgar Injap Sia shares what he did that got restaurant to the place where it is now:  

In 2003, when Edgar Injap Sia was offered a 250 sq. m. space in the parking building of Robinsons Place Iloilo a lot of people advised him against leasing the property but Sia determined that it had potential.

“In the Big League”

While thinking of a concept for the space offered to him, he realized that for that business to succeed, he should innovate and start something new, instead of just copying an existing business concept. He zeroed in on the native Ilonggo chicken barbecue called Inasal in the dialect- and combined it with the familiar fast food dine-in concept.

BE BRAVE AND BE BOLD

INNOVATE AND START SOMETHING NEW

During Mang Inasal's first few days of operations, there were so

many customers that Sia himself had to help with cooking, cleaning, serving and other tasks in the restaurant during the day. Afterwards, he had to work at home, marinating the chicken to be cooked and served at the restaurant the following day.

After four days of this kind of backbreaking work, Sia realized that running a restaurant was no easy task, and he contemplated giving up altogether. However, his belief in the promise of the concept kept him going. "We learned along the way, we encountered problems, but I believed that when there's a will, there's a way," he says.

REFUSE TO GIVE UP

BE READY FOR BACKBREAKING WORK

From the very start of Mang Inasal, Sia had received a lot of inquiries for franchising, but he held back until 2005, or two years after starting the business. He wanted to ensure that the business was already stable before taking the franchise route. When Mang Inasal was opened for franchising in 2005, the company rapidly expanded-- a complete surprise for Sia.

To help him with his expansion efforts, he joined both the Philippine Franchise Association and the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc., the country's biggest franchise organizations.

GO SLOW AND STEADY

JOIN REPUTABLE ORGANIZATIONS

Mang Inasal is the only one that tries to promote Filipino cuisine and Filipino values. This, he says, sets them apart from all the other fast food chains, which are mostly Western-themed. In addition, he introduced an innovation that quickly and rapidly appealed to Pinoys who typically like a heavy meal: Mang Inasal was the first quick service restaurant to offer unlimited rice to patrons, a practice that they continued even when rice prices surged last year.

Sia says expansion will continue with a hundred more outlets planned for 2010. Sia is also looking at international expansion, possibly in the US and Middle East, where there are sizeable Filipino populations. Taking the company public through an initial public offering is also a step Sis is considering.

STAND OUT AMONG THE COUNTRY'S TOP FAST FOOD CHAINS

CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES

MANG INASAL is doing its share in alleviating the unemployment burden of the country. The presence of every MANG INASAL in a certain area provides not only employment but also opportunities to community members including suppliers of:

It also indirectly gives income-generating activities to many.

KalamansiCharcoalbanana leavesVegetablesbamboo sticksand other ingredients.

AWARDS

He also received the Urban Leadership Award from the Canadian Urban Institute because of his outstanding contributions to the enhancement of the public realm and the quality of life in the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras area.

Sia was the Small Business Entrepreneur winner handed out by Ernst and Young in 2010.

Highlight of his ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER

My entrepreneurial career has been a roller coaster ride, with so many loops and hurdles along the way. But I know that you can win all the challenges if you are armed with sheer determination, clear intensions, and self-discipline.

-Edgar Sia II

“I strongly believe in not having to rush into what the next big thing is. Rather, just cruise the days to learn, learn, learn more things because big opportunities will just come at the right time and whatever you learned can be applied when that time comes”

-Edgar Sia II

Sia is an inspiration for young entrepreneurs to work hard and grab the available opportunities for your business. We admired this man for being optimistic that sooner he can create another business like

We are really moved by the reality that there are some known tycoons today who made to the top of the industry without the proper degree.

We learned some deeper background information about the owner of this business.

Manamit gid!!!

THANK YOU.