The little burger joint that withstands the test of time

MANILA, Philippines - For nearly three decades now, Minute Burger has been the go-to place of regular men and women on the street for their tasty fast food fix. Starting with a mobile store at a gasoline station in Pasig City, the yellow and orange Minute Burger snack stands instantly became a hit for its quality burgers.

Established in 1982 when burger joints were mushrooming at prime locations in the metropolis, Minute Burger became even more accessible when it adopted the mobile cart store design, ventured into the neighborhood streets of Metro Manila, and opened its stores 24/7.

Minute Burger belongs to the food service division of Leslie Corp., a manufacturing company best known for its product brand, Clover Chips. It started as a company-owned chain before offering franchising in 2003. Since then, Minute Burger has grown to a stable fast food franchise chain with over 150 franchisees and 370 stores dotting key areas in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog Region, Central Luzon, Metro Cebu, Davao, General Santos City, and Cagayan de Oro City.

Jay Domingo, Minute Burger franchise recruitment manager, can only attribute this exponential growth to the company’s unique franchise set-up and streamlined processes that the people behind Minute Burger have perfected through the years.

Unique set-up

The Minute Burger franchise system is unique for its multi-unit set-up wherein a franchisee will agree to open three stores within a given time and area, for an estimated total investment of P490,000 per store, inclusive of franchise fee, production, equipment, support services. Each franchisee undergoes assessment after opening one store, and then moves up to open two more stores within the area in a span of one year. The return of investment (ROI) begins on the 18th month, or earlier, depending on the sales performance of the store.      

‘’This prevents encroachment among franchise holders. But more importantly, this set-up has turned out to be more profitable for franchisees because they maximize their income potential while exerting almost the same effort in operating either one or three stores. They feel the rewards faster too,’’ says Domingo.

Quality franchisees

Minute Burger also owes its growth to the quality of franchisees it has in its stable. Marketing manager Jenny Kim admits the process in awarding franchise may be rigid, but this turns out to be rewarding for both the mother company and the franchisees.

“Financial capability is not the only criteria. Applicants have to undergo diagnostic tests, initial interview, as well as credit and background checks.’’ Kim explains.

Minute Burger thus invests a lot in keeping its franchisees, because the company believes that their growth will benefit everybody else. Regular business review and monthly store operations meetings are held mainly to motivate the franchisees and challenge their mindsets, inculcating in them a strong sense of ownership. Franchisees also attend quarterly advisory council meetings to discuss issues among themselves and compare best practices with other franchisees. Areas of growth at present include Bukidnon, Butuan, Bulacan, and Valenzuela.

“The advisory council helps us align the franchisees with the brand,” explains Kim. “We discuss operations, handling of store crew, salaries and wages, incentives, government policies, new products and local store marketing activities to keep our franchisees updated with the business.”

Even if the trend these days is towards buy-one, take one burgers, Minute Burger does not balk on maintaining its quality. “Globally-sourced ingredients and world-class manufacturing practices ensure that Minute Burger products are among the best in the market,” states Kim. “The product line includes buy-one-take-one burgers and hot dog sandwiches, and healthy drinks such as iced tea, juice, and milk.”

And it is a ‘’mortal sin’’ among Minute Burger franchisees to be under-stocked or to have an incomplete product line, Kim adds. In fact, during the height of typhoon Ondoy, what food store remained opened 24/7 all throughout the ordeal in flood-stricken Marikina? Minute Burger, of course!