Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal Spreads Its Wings During Crunch Time

Jan 21, 2022

Just when most people were thinking that COVID had turned the food retail business – including ‘dining out’ — upside down, a food supplier-turned-chicken inasal franchisor’s flexible thinking had pivoted fast.  A few months after developing the branding and kickstarting Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal, business owner Dennis Go has not only made food takeout viable but also adapted the process of letting his product line be fully enjoyed by inasal lovers — al fresco.

Unlike some entities that had to hit the pause button and even temporarily close shop, Dennis and his wife Edith quickly embraced an adaptation strategy and innovation practices.  To date, the enterprising duo have reworked the possible flow of people that can safely be accommodated in a small outdoor outlet, with due focus on safety protocols. On the franchisee support side, Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal’s top brass ensured that financing one’s own business will be a whole lot easier. The company’s recent partnership with established peer-to-peer funding platform BlendPH enables aspiring small business owners to inch their way closer to their own income-generating franchise venture.

The team-up of the two companies is a win-win for all.  “BlendPH (for its part) empowers small entrepreneurs with limited capitalization,” as Dennis Go stated.  In so doing, BlendPH is also able to realize its thrust of driving financial inclusion, particularly the sector underserved by banks. As franchisor, the Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal owner likewise articulated that franchisees are able to build on a new business idea (using the established franchise network and captive customer base) at a lower capital output. By providing the resources that franchisees need to operate the business model, the franchisor will realize its own growth goals, over time.

The other great thing that the relentless Go couple has provided is the upside of being a food supplier. Relationships with suppliers have already been established. Hence, Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal had all the resources at its disposal to be able to compete with other market players

Indeed, a small franchise venture like Kaloy’s Inasal, which is covering many ground already even if the chicken inasal business was just launched during the last quarter of 2021, is a microcosm of the fast-growing national sentiment of thriving amidst the pandemic. Adapt and innovate in order to survive is the mantra.

On a broader aspect, there are, of course many parties or components of the community that benefit from the small enterprise’s survival, aside from the managers. These include key staff, consumers, and other members of the supply chain.  Though most SMEs are known to fall by the wayside after the first three to five years, being largely affected by external environmental factors, enterprise success is largely shaped by the business operator’s grit, passion, resourcefulness, pulse for the market, and of course, external support ranging from financing to overall public acceptance.

Chicken Inasal Zooms to Top Pinoy Fave Foods

Chicken inasal (which means “chargrilled”) traces its origins to the City of Bacolod. The smoky delicious flavor comes mainly from the manner of cooking the meat. Traditionally, the chicken is grilled over wood charcoal. 

For many a chicken-loving Pinoy, the authentic Bacolod inasal recipe taste is hard to resist. Not all inasal retail distributors, though, can come close to the iconic Ilonggo dish consisting basically of skewered chicken part (breast or leg & thigh) that has been marinated overnight, enabling appetizingly delicious flavors to seep in.

For those with finicky tastes, it is not supposed to be just any grilled chicken with a dipping sauce thrown into the package and with steamed rice on the side. It has to be fresh-off-the-grill, and not just any grill. Though some folks are inclined to whip up their own tasty homemade chicken inasal recipe and use an oven or electric grill,  the best authentic taste can only be created when the chicken is cooked over hot charcoal grill outdoors. For a really hearty Pinoy-style `inasal na manok’ meal, serve it with steaming hot rice with  soy sauce & calamansi plus a some red chili peppers.

It is the ingredients – including spices used for the marinade and basting sauce – that add up to the distinctive taste, the brown-orange hue, and delightful aroma of off the grill chicken inasal.  Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal does well as far as the inasal ingredients are concerned, coming up with a juicy and flavorsome option that is hard to beat. Being first to market does have its advantages, and the Mang Inasal recipe that has roots in Iloilo and has led to one of the biggest barbecue fast food restaurant chains in the Philippines now, attests to that.

Leveraging Late Market Entrant Advantages

Inasal Bacolod undeniably has a ring to it and has long been compelling many foodies. Late market entrants like Kaloy’s enjoyed benefits – less expense on market education and more on creating awareness for the new brand, less risk of product acceptance, and easier customer acquisition. The entrepreneurial streak and innovation, such as what Dennis and Edith Go embodied, enabled them to create a good product, beforehand they were able to spot the gaps with the similar offerings in the market prior to launch.

For its part, Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal added new features or created its own Pinoy-oriented mix of products. Other hot-selling items like pork barbecue, isaw, and Tumbong are currently part of Kaloy’s chicken inasal menu. Though it may be considered a relatively late market entrant,  entering the market late allows you to create something that others may have missed out on. The pricing, for instance, is favorable to many budget-conscious Pinoy food lovers. The Negosyo package is an all-in business that includes the inasal na manok griller, signage/menu, freezer, staff uniforms, cooler, BBQ grill plate, initial stock, and training. The return on investments is calculated at three months.

With courage, hard work and resilience, qualities of the Go couple worth emulating, a chicken inasal business can be a rewarding franchise business, especially as the chicken meal demand continues to soar.  Though the franchise business focus, Dennis Go stated, is currently the National Capital Region, accepting franchisees in other regions over a year from now is not a remote possibility. To date, Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal is hitting the road with more new branches in Quezon City, two in Bulacan, and one in Alabang soon.

One clear takeaway from Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal story is that this pandemic, brave and determined souls who leave nothing to chance, act decisively, and do not waste time slacking are destined to reap gains. The emerging chicken inasal brand is certainly poised to expand its footprint, with a winning blueprint for success and with an equally customer-oriented partner, BlendPH, by its side. Both Kaloy’s Chicken Inasal and BlendPH want to help the community not only through service quality and innovative product lines, but by facilitating the provision of livelihood to many Filipinos.