Hip businesses in Hanep Buhay

MANILA, Philippines - One recipe to success is having a product that tickles the taste buds. Today at 7 a.m., GMA 7’s Hanep Buhay hosts Chris Tiu and Love Añover will find that out as they visit one of the country’s longest-running snack food chains Lots’ a Pizza. Also today, Love and the Hanep Team will get into the nitty gritty of the shoe repair business as they visit Boyet Lim’s Shoe Repair.

When it comes to repairing broken soles and shining shoes, Rodolfo Nimer, known as Boyet Lim, is the person to run to in Paco, Manila. In operation for the last 20 years, his shoe repair business, and the skills that come with it, was inherited by Boyet from his father. But instead of the business growing and expanding, the years have worn down their shoe repair shop. His tiny stall is sharing space with a sari-sari store. Instead of leveling up his equipment, Boyet does all his repairs manually. His equipment is too old and he lacks other materials to boot.

That’s why Hanep Buhay has the mission to once again jumpstart Boyet’s 20-year-old business. To start off the makeover, his tiny stall will undergo one hanep construction.  Add to that some brand new shoe repair materials plus additional shoe making and shoe repair training.

In the heart of Mendiola in the late ’80s, there was a small snack food stall that served yummy siopao, peanuts and banana cue to the university belt students. The small stall, owned by couple Ngan and Tess Tian, suddenly struck it big when Tess’ pizza recipe started earning raves from customers. Thus, Lots’ a Pizza was born. To further enhance their home-made pizza, Tess even flew to the US to learn pizza making in the American Institute of Baking. Now, it is one of the most-widely franchised local pizza businesses in the country.