Young Aldeguer comes into his own with fast-food paella
ENTREPRENEURSHIP student Jose Maria Antonio Aldeguer decided to put theory into practice by opening a food outlet that reinvented paella – a Spanish rice dish – into a fast food fare.
The 22-year-old Aldeguer said he has always wanted to be able to start a business of his own.
He was in his fourth year at the University of San Carlos when he decided to drop out of school to open his first Hala Paella! food outlet at the Banilad Town Centrein July last year.
“I thought that if I didn’t do it now, the opportunity wouldn’t come again. Now felt like the right time,” he said.
In just six months, he has opened a second outlet at the Robinsons Cybergate in Fuente Osmeña rotunda.
Hala Paella! offers Spanish comfort food for those who just want a quick Spanish meal, or for families who miss the taste of home-cooked paella.
The restaurant became a hit among the younger generation, who are drawn to the hip aesthetic of the restaurant, and the older generation, who likes paella.
Aldeguer said he got the idea from his grandfather, after learning to make the traditional Valenciana paella.
“My grandfather taught me two to three years ago how to cook paella,” Aldeguer said.
Aldeguer’s grandfather, Joey, was the director of Hola Espana, another Spanish-themed restaurant. He now co-owns Hala Paella! with his grandson.
“From my dad, I learned almost everything else,” the young entrepreneur said, referring to multi-awarded entrepreneur Jonathan Jay P. Aldeguer.
The restaurant now has several versions of the paella, including the valenciana, callos, paella negra (made from squid ink), as well as versions that make use of ingredients such as chorizo and lechon. All single-serve dishes are less than P200.
Aldeguer said that in opening the restaurant, he had learned many things.
“Firstly, I learned that cost decrease is better than sales increase. Also, don’t be too emotional especially in today’s social media. You can’t pity yourself. People on social media don’t care,” he said.
The restaurant relies mainly on word-of-mouth, as well as social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram.
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