Entrepreneur 14: QUITO JOSE, MARTIN JOSE, DANIEL JOSE

QUITO JOSE , MARTIN JOSE , DANIEL JOSE

Business: Brothers Burger

Category: The Young Millionaires

Brothers Burger was to give Martin and Daniel an additional source of income because of the Asian Financial Crisis since Martin was into real estate and Daniel's a stockbroker. Quito was the only one who had a job. Their mother's family owned Minggoy's in Ortigas Center and there's an available space next to it which they use. They wanted to try something new, so they decided to put up a hamburger restaurant where they could serve the kind of burgers that they liked - real beef with no extenders. The first store opened in June of 1999.

When they were starting out they realized that they bought the wrong kitchen equipment which cost them P1 million. In spite of the big loss they were able to recover their investment in a short period. 

A student from the University of Asia and the Pacific dared them to treat him with one of their burgers. If it was good, the student would return the next day and fill the place. He returned the next day and filled up the place.

Their turning point was when the Lopez offered them a space in Rockwell.

"The success of Brothers Burger could be attributed to the fact that our products spoke for themselves. That's why we were really strict about quality. We were constantly checking the price of our ingredients, learning new things, and improving the menu."

They decided to open a commissary and training center in Makati to be more competitive. They also introduced new offerings like rice meals which they called Big Meals.

"Our biggest contribution to the industry is that we are able to create more jobs for Filipinos. They might not be getting that much from us, but at least they will have food on the table."

GOLDEN RULE: Start with as little overhead as possible, and make sure that you understand the commitment needed in opening a restaurant.