Looking forward to better things

MANILA, Philippines - GoodAh!!!, a fast-food brand that popularized quick rice and porridge meals like goto, including the 24-hour, 7-days-a-week type of service that is unheard of during its time, is back with a rejuvenated appeal and at the same time is looking forward to even better things.

GoodAh!!! is known in the quick service restaurant (QSR) business as the originator of colloquial terms like “Open 25 hours,” “Pagkaing good for every all,” “matsala sa yo-i” and other catchy terms, plus the original concept of combining the syllables of various Filipino dishes into a single item like “tapa” (roast beef), “sinangag” (fried rice) and “itlog” (egg) to come up with “tapsilog.” They even turned the local slang “litsi,” which sounds demeaning, into something gastronomic (litson kawali at sinangag).

After all these years, GoodAh!!!, the brand that pioneered a unique offering of Filipino dishes under the QSR model, proudly pronounced that they are back with a fresh and excitingly updated look and allure. Opening today is GoodAh!!!’s first branch under the new management company located along Doña Soledad Avenue in Bicutan and is deemed as the portent of good things to come for the brand.

Growth potentials

The brand was very popular during its day but somewhat plateaued a little bit. However, it was when GoodAh!!! was acquired by a group headed by food industry entrepreneur Timothy “Timmy” Yang that they decided to do something. “We know the growth potential is definitely there since recall is still extremely high. In a survey, we thought those in their 40s will be the ones to remember but to our surprise, even those in their mid-20s knows GoodAh!!! quite well,” explains Timmy.

Now that the company is back in full swing, it’s back to basics—review everything, improve on what needs to be improved, look at the functions of all departments, the purchasing principles and policies, working closer with suppliers, upgrading of the commissary and the warehouse—basically the whole company. But then again, Timmy avers that GoodAh!!! now possesses a new and updated look and ambience yet at the same affordable food prices.

Several aspects of the store will also be different like the new GoodAh!!! logo, the country-type look of the structure, but the other elements will remain like the traditional colors, the al fresco feel and the very casual dining environment.

Investment opportunities

Timmy said that for the first six months, they’ll focus on building and increasing the number of stores, starting with this new one in Bicutan and another one slated for opening next month also in Parañaque. Over time, they will put up other stores in target areas like in major business districts in Makati and Pasig, high-traffic areas like Araneta Center, Manila (Mabini, U-Belt, etc.), QC (Morato). It’s going to be an “in-your-face” approach, he said.

He said the GoodAh!!! brand is a great business magnet, being around for more than 2 decades and with plans in place, expect aggressive growth in the coming year. “It withstood the test of time. Filipino dishes like goto, tapsi, tosi, longsi,and litsi were put it in the mainstream, and the others followed. But we still want to be the best, whether in goto or the other items. We want to be second to none. We just want to build first a strong foundation and support system then franchising will surely follow.”

Moreso, during the economic crunch, it’s best to go into business, and it makes best sense to invest in food. Timmy pointed out that food is not like fashion, which just comes and goes whereas food is a daily necessity. “It’s like, I won’t buy jeans this month but I can’t say I won’t eat today. Food is a daily necessity, and if your place has good food, clean surroundings, great service, and of course, value-for-money and a strategic location, investing in the food business is practically a no-brainer.”

Aside from that, GoodAh!!! is a uniquely and genuinely Filipino concept, which is the brand’s best-selling proposition. Even the price points fit most people’s disposable income. More importantly, this original Filipino creation even created income opportunities for those who copied not just the food but the whole concept. That itself proves that the business model works.