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SikLab applies learnings from overseas franchises
The Conrad S. Mason branch of Siklab – previously a food hall concept by The Bistro Group – reflects a new pivot to further develop its in-house brands. While the franchise of American restaurant Dave & Buster's, which operates in Opus Mall, has 1,500 seats because of the sports arena, in terms of dining, this is the group's largest outlet by far, with 260 to 290 seats.
businessworld Went to a preview dinner at Siklab on January 7th and tasted our Filipino favorite dishes. We especially liked Sinilabang Manok (Word siklab It means “spark”, so it's like saying “sparked chicken”), which serves as a variant of Bacolod. Insal (barbecue), which has a very pronounced lemongrass influence. their Pancit Palabok (a noodle dish) can stand head to head with anyone, while their Pinatisang Manok (fried chicken with fish sauce) is an almost perfect clone of another restaurant group's heritage fried chicken dish. Everyone at the table liked their version bibingka (steamed rice cake), puffed like a cake, topped with muscovado sugar, coconut, salted egg and cheese.
Guia Abuel, chief operating officer of The Bistro Group, said they previously launched local brands Siklab and Crazy Garlic in 2014, but they were shut down in 2018 due to their lack of experience in running local brands. After all, Bistro Group is known for bringing American restaurant franchises here, like TGI Fridays (their first) and Morton's The Steakhouse.
Times have changed, and this is Ciclab – its biggest – third branch, after their first relaunch in Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the second in Ivo City, Cavite. By the end of the month, Ms. Abuel predicts that they will be able to open four more: along Camagong St. in Makati City, at Park Triangle in BGC, Vermosa in Cavite, and at Evia Lifestyle Mall in Las Piñas.
“With so many years of experience, we felt that the company was already prepared to bring locally-oriented restaurants,” he said.
“Over the years, we've seen the success of local Filipino restaurants. I won't name our competitors, but they were inspirations for us. We already have all the dishes… but we don't have the local concept.”
One might think that focusing mostly on foreign flavors throughout their decades-long history might prove a hindrance in creating something Filipino, but she says the systematic operations influenced by their Western counterparts helped them create better ones. “They have a great base of standards,” he said. “It's an American style of service: friendly, generous.
“We have applied these learnings to the way we run our business in a domestic setting,” he said.
On that note, how do they differentiate themselves as a Filipino restaurant in the Philippines, considering that most of their experience has been with foreign brands? “There are a lot of good local restaurants, but in terms of execution… I think we might be ahead of them.
“We are a mature operator. Of course, food is everything, but it's not everything. It's the quality of service, the ambiance. It's a complete package.” — Joseph L. Garcia