Passion. This seven-letter word is one of the most effective motivators when it comes to launching or starting your own business.
Often so, passion is one of the strongest predictors of whether an idea will lead to success.
More than 30 years ago, Rustico Pernia, who was 30 then, was passionate about food, thanks to the skills he learned from his grandmother.
At that time, he was already working at a restaurant owned by her sister. From the time he was 16 years-old, he already had dreams of running his own restaurant.
He felt determined to mix his skill and passion for food which in turn, made him decide to venture into creating his restaurant, “Lola Inda Pancit Palabok.“
Read: Lola Inda Pancit Palabok flourishing thru online presence
Sales were good, and their Kapampangan dishes like the palabok were a hit to their patrons in their humble kiosk along MC Briones Street in Mandaue City.
The warm reception of patrons of their Mandaue kiosk eventually led Pernia to put up a restaurant along F. Ramos Street in Cebu City.
“The business was growing,” said Jonathan Pernia, Rustico’s son who now manages their business.
However, like all business stories, success does not always come easy. His son says that due to the ever-changing needs of the market and other unforeseen circumstances, there have been several times that the restaurant has been at the brink of collapse.
“Kapila na times na hapit mi ma lugi,” says Pernia in an a phone interview with CDN Digital. (There were several times that we were almost losing.)
“However, what kept our business strong is the passion my father has towards his venture,” says Pernia.
“Financial (problems) aside, it helps na naa kai good friends and relative na mo support in times of need,” he added.
(Financial problems aside, it helps that you have good friends and relatives who support you in times of need.)
As they move forward from that phase, Pernia says one thing that they notice is how loyal patrons always find time to come back to Lola Inda.
Tailored service
“We received feedback from our loyal customers na aside from the food, they always appreciated our type of service we give to them,” he said.
According to him, his father’s warm personality made customers feel comfortable and at ease whenever they dine at the restaurant. His father would personally hand them their order and would greet them like an old friend.
Pernia says this type of service makes customers feel at home whenever they dine because like any family, his father considers their business his home.
“Mao sad nakanindot if you have passion in what you are doing, because makita gyud sa mga tao and mo reflect siya on your service,” he adds.
(That is what is good if you have passion in what you are doing, because they can see that and it will reflect on your service.)
What also makes them unique is the tailored service they give to their customers.
“At our main branch in Ramos, if mo ana ang student kun unsa ilang ma palit sa P50, we make it to a point na mohatag gyud mi nila ug option. (In) That way we provide them the best deal and create a lasting impression to our customers,” Pernia says.
(At our main branch in Ramos, if a student would ask what they could buy with P50, we make it a point to give them an option. In that way we provide the best deal and create a lasting impression to our customers.)
“Imong service kai mo katay man sad na… We even address our customers og first name basis because we want to let them feel comfortable and establish a good relationship with them,” he adds.
(The kind of service you provide will also spread … We even address our customers on a first name basis because we want to let them feel comfortable and establish a good relationship with them.)
“Ingon ana sad na when you serve with passion sa imong customers,” he says.
(That is the way to go when you serve your customers with passion.)
He says that a passion for service goes hand-in-hand with friendliness and a personable attitude.
And like any traditional business, there is no fancy secret recipe to Lola Inda’s food. Just good old service that keeps customers coming back for more. /bmjo