MANILA, Philippines — Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc., the listed Po family-led restaurant chain group, is reviving an artisan pizza concept in the country, Project Pie, which involves do-it-yourself pizzas.
This would be done in synergy with the Gokongwei Group, which came in as strategic investor in Shakey’s early this year.
Shakey’s is opening the concept at Shopwise Hypermarket in Makati, a retail chain by Gokongwei led Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.(RRHI).
The Project Pie artisan pizza concept first came to the Philippines in 2013, said Vicente Gregorio, president and CEO of Shakey’s.
“We are delighted to reopen Project Pie at Shopwise. It is a well-loved brand with a solid patronage clamoring for us to bring it back. We are launching with a couple of stores, Antipolo and Makati, and are looking to build another handful of outlets next year,” Gregorio said.
Gregorio said the Project Pie concept fits the revamp of Shopwise quite well.
“We are very pleased to work with the Gokongwei group in bringing this brand to life,” he said.
Robina Gokongwei-Pe, RRHI president and CEO, said their group is excited to launch Project Pie in Shopwise.
“Pizza is immensely popular among Filipinos, and we are excited for the launch of Shakey’s Project Pie in Shopwise. The concept of an artisan and upscale pizzeria is very much in line with our strategy to reinvigorate our hypermarket to serve customers better through delightful complements to their shopping experience,” she said.
The move is part of Shakey’s overall expansion program, exceeding its initial plan of 30 new stores for the year.
The company has been actively rolling out proven store formats with faster payback, such as ghost kitchens, DelCo, and drive-through stores, strengthening its off-premise business.
“Our store formats are designed to capture specific dining occasions. Nowadays, family shopping trips to the supermarket are often accompanied by eating out. Situating in a hypermarket with a high foot traffic is a great way to provide this captured market a convenient dining option. We believe that Project Pie is perfect for this occasion,” Gregorio said.
“We want to welcome them back with unique offerings that make their time enjoyable and worthwhile when they visit our stores,” Gokongwei said.