Franchising

As early as the 1970s, the country had been enjoying a gamut of foreign pizza brands franchised locally. Cebu-based couple Bernard and Frances Therese Palang, undeterred and even inspired, redefined the famous bread dough by offering it in huge sizes and in new blends.

With a start-up capital of P400,000, the novelty convenience store and pizza parlor opened in January 2008 in Lahug, Cebu City. A year later, the company ventured into Manila and set up an outlet in Quezon City and another in Mandaluyong City.

The Palang couple admits they lacked professional culinary knowledge at first, but shared a common desire to enter the food business. This is despite having their respective endeavors before putting up a pizza parlor—Frances headed a chemical repacking business while Bernard worked in the family-owned furniture trade.

To date, Calda Pizza operates 34 company-owned and franchised outlets nationwide, and has become a favorite among barkadas, families, and practically any large group of pizza lovers. Pizzas come in five sizes—11 inches, 16 inches, 20 inches, 30 inches, and 36 inches in diameter.

Their success prompted the couple to leave their respective careers to pursue the full-time management of the growing pizza chain. Currently, Frances takes care of the administration and the commissary. Bernard, on the other hand, is in charge of developing branches, as well as marketing, franchising, expansion, and the daily operations of the company-owned outlets. “In the end, it boiled down to choosing something we both believed in passionately,” he says.

Like most entrepreneurs, the tandem had to squarely face the challenges of market acceptance, funding support, and technical assistance. “Initially, we encountered several obstacles like securing rental space and creating a market,” recalls Frances. “We were not an international brand and we did not possess any background in the industry.”

Even if Frances had a Master’s in business management, the couple learned they had to leave aspects of the business to experts. “In terms of product shelf-life, production techniques and cooking artistry, I had to tap the knowledge resources of my suppliers and go through trial-and-error. That’s not to mention the research and survey on market trends,” she explains.

This hard work has resulted in 21 types of pizza to form the current offerings of Calda Pizza. The company is also planning to launch its own pasta line and chicken recipes.  “We plan to continue growing and expanding nationally, either through company-owned outlets or through franchising,” says Bernard.

Calda Pizza Franchise

Franchise fee: P300,000

Estimated Total Investment: P800,000

Estimated Payback Period: 6 months to 1 year

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