Luzon-based resto optimistic business will thrive in Cebu

Despite the strong presence of homegrown and international restaurant brands in Cebu, executives of a family-led food business from Pampanga are banking on taste of Cebuanos for food for their venture to thrive here.

While Jose Razon, executive vice president of Razon’s Food Corp. (RFC), said they are facing tough competition here, his sister, RFC president and chief operating officer Edwina Razon-Ayson, said there would always be a market in Cebu.

“Cebuanos love food. They are experimental and want to try everything. As long as people love to eat, there is always a market,” she said.

The second Razon’s of Guagua branch in Cebu was opened in SM City Consolacion last Oct. 8 while the company’s first branch, located at SM Seaside City Cebu, has been open since July this year.

While Cebuanos might have sighted a few “Razon’s” branches around the city before that, the company executives clarified that these are owned and run by their relatives.

Evolving from what started as a hobby of three of their aunts, the family opened their first commercial branch in Metro Manila on July 8, 2003.

“It was just a hobby of our three aunts. They were old maids, you see. They wanted to put up a food business at home where they served halo-halo, pansit, and hamburger. Through word of mouth, it just became popular in the provinces,” said Ayson.

Razon added that their aunts didn’t even want to expand the business and that they wanted to keep it to themselves.

It was the second generation of Razons who brought the business to Metro Manila, offering the family’s signature dishes as well as assorted tarts, chicharon, and taba ng talangka.

Today, RFC has 73 branches in Metro Manila, currently including two in Cebu with an additional branch set to be opened in SM City Cebu before the end of the year.

Across all branches, the prices are the same. Customers can choose from a variety of items on the menu ranging from the best-selling halo-halo at P85 to P110, depending on size, and the pancit luglug and pancit plus at P110 and P140, respectively.

Other items the family takes pride in are the sizzling bulalo at P295 and sizzling sisig at P220 which groups of up to four can share.