How a Dagupan backyard business became a successful food cart franchise

MANILA, Philippines – In the world of business, failure usually comes before unprecedented success, which is why for Kamela Seen, mother of Plato Wraps, patience and resilience are important.

As someone who has been serving Filipinos for more than a decade, Kamela told Philstar.com in an interview that while knowing the logistics and operations behind the business is necessary, the right attitude towards the business is also important.

"Through the years, madami naring pinagdaanan ang business namin. Pero sa kahit ano pa mang business, ang advice ko lang is basta pasensya lang. Believe in your product and work hard," Kamela said at the launch of Plato Wraps new brand held in Pineapple Lab on August 2.

"Huwag gumive-up kasi hindi siya ganun kabilis. It takes time,” she added.

Going back to the time when she and the rest of the family were just starting with the business, Kamela said they never thought they would make it big. As she has mentioned, even the thought of their products reaching Metro Manila did not cross her mind.

"It started as a backyard business in Dagupan. Basta nag-open lang kami ng bakery.Never ko siyang naimagine na dadami siya. Basta ang goal lang is additional product ng bakery and tsaka kailangan lang masarap," Kamela said.

When people in Dagupan started to recognize their flatbread, the family decided to go out of their comfort zone and start reaching new customers by searching for partners that would help them take their product to Manila.

"It was really hard talaga kasi ang problem namin is the proximity. Sa Dagupan kami eh. I remember riding the shuttle everyday to Manila just to bring the products out there. It was challenging. Even the capital sobrang hirap ma-gather, but it was all worth it," she said.

Kamela recalled the moment she finally realized their efforts bore fruit.  

"Nagulat talaga ko, when people started to lineup for the products, tapos maya-maya may mga gusto na magfranchise.Yun talaga yung nakatulong sa pagexpand ng business," she said.

Plato Wraps is a registered trademark of Panaderia Antonio Food Corporation (PAFC), a single proprietary bakery business which started in 1997. It was in 2011, when her husband chef Tony Seen,  produced the iconic flatbread of Plato Wraps. Kamela decided to enrich the flatbread by deciding to add it with filling. From its first filling of chicken—a family recipe—it has launched a full menu, with Ham and Cheese, Yummy Tuna, Beef Gyro and more. The business, as she claims is a true family effort, with each flatbread baked with love every single day.

In 2002, they have established their first branch in Megamall. Since then, Filipinos have become fans of the hearty, delicious and affordable wrap.

And now, to cater to the changing preference of Filipino customers, they are working on adding new filling to their line.

“Customers are now more health-conscious. So we will add one wrap with calorie count para sa mga health consicous. Right now, ina-RND namin is bean sprouts, tuyo with light dressing," she said.

A standalone store is also in the pipeline once the Seens nail a good location.