For Bibingkinitan owner, innovative business tool is important facet of trade

MANILA, Philippines - Bibingkinitan targets to end the year with 200 outlets and intends to reach 500 outlets in the next two or three years. Richard Sanz, owner of Bibingkinitan, said innovation is an important facet of the business as he continues to grow the brand nationwide. To date, he has over 180 outlets with more than 80 branches owned by his company Food Asia Corp. and 80 franchisees operating the rest.

Sanz started Bibingkinitan in 2006 and opened it for franchising by 2007. The bibingka recipe was developed for a year to become what it is today. “Innovation is part of our strategy. The product itself is an innovation because we changed the landscape for bibingka. I want to make Bibingkinitan a global brand. All the other food from other countries like Italy, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand are available locally but we have to establish distribution of Filipino food abroad. My dream is to make this Philippine delicacy known globally through Bibingkinitan. We have inquiries in Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong today. Hopefully it’s a first step,” Sanz said.

Bibingkinitan employs about 200 people directly and another 200 at the various Bibingkinitan franchises. Sanz personally handles marketing for the brand and although he doesn’t have any marketing background he has received many awards on this aspect. “I trained my staff. They have been with me ever since I started. One thing I am happy about being an entrepreneur is that I get to guide and mold people and offer them opportunities. I am very hands on down to the last detail,” he said. 

Sanz is an electrical engineer by profession. He tried working in a company for two years but it was his dream to go into business.

By accident, he got into the food business. Before he began the concept of single serve or bite sized bibingka he had Tea Square but realized that not all Filipinos like tea as they are more of coffee drinkers. This is when he started Bibingkinitan armed with P100,000 capital, half of which are sourced from savings and half a loan from his father-in-law.

As he values innovation, Sanz uses Business Plus and relies on his Globe Duo to stay connected to the office. Business Plus is the customizable postpaid plan offered by Globe Business that allows entrepreneurs to choose the mobile services that best suit them and pay only for what they need. It comes with various tack-on services such as unlimited call, texts, mobile browsing and Business Loop, as well as Duo and Superduo.

“I can call a landline anywhere I am and the reception is very clear. I call my office through the landline. I am heavy on calls, SMS and unlimited internet. I check my email every time and the speed is good. I have it set up in my phone. With Globe, the signal is good anywhere I go,” Sanz said. On a regular day, the first thing he does is check his emails from home and answer some that require immediate attention. While he is in the office every Mondays and Tuesdays, he relies on his Globe mobile for coordination with the office most of the time.

Today, Bibingkinitan is the popular brand among those carried by Food Asia Corp., which also has a frozen foods line that distributes processed meats to hotels and restaurants through its commissary in Las Piñas.