Cebu resto opens 15th outlet, to add three more this year

CEBUANO restaurant chain Golden Cowrie is in an aggressive expansion mode this year as it recently opened its 15th restaurant along AS Fortuna St. in Mandaue City with three more in the pipeline scheduled to open by the last quarter this year.

Kenneth and Christine Kokseng, Cebu Golden Restaurant Inc. managers, said they are confident of their brand that is why they are opening more restaurants this year.

Golden Cowrie first opened in Cebu in 1982, then owned by the Ebrada family before the Koksengs bought the brand in 2000 and started opening more branches in 2001.

At present, there are six outlets in Cebu including the first store in Salinas Drive, Lahug, SM City Cebu, Robinsons Cybergate, Marina Mall and Ayala Center Cebu which carried the Hukad brand.

Their most recently opened outlet in A.S. Fortuna offers the first take-out counter where customers can order ngohiong, lechon manok and liempo.

franchises

“We started offering franchises in 2010 with Cagayan de Oro branch as out first franchise outlet,” said Kokseng.

Other branches are in Davao City with three branches now, Ozamis City, Dumaguete City, Bohol, General Santos City and Boracay.

Another outlet is set to be opened in Parkmall, Cebu on September which will be the second branch under the Hukad brand.

“We will also be opening in Puerto Princesa, Palawan and in Butuan City by December. Both of these outlets are franchises,” said Kokseng.

For every expansion, an investment of at least P3.5 million will be needed aside from the P1 million franchise fee.

With Golden Cowrie known for their Filipino dishes, the couple said that the ASEAN integration will open an opportunity for them to also introduce the Filipino dish abroad.

“We believe in our products and Filipino dishes have not been promoted. Like Japanese cuisine, I think it’s time we introduce this to the world,” said Kokseng./Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap