The
restaurant industry worldwide is currently facing the worst crisis ever. Never
in history have people seen businesses being disrupted in a way that can make
many brands irrelevant and at risk of permanent closure. Yet amid this very
volatile time, a few brands still endure.
Shakey’s
Pizza celebrates its 45th year of continued operation in the Philippines and is
now a strong leader in the family casual dining restaurant category in the
country. This is a milestone for the brand known for its Thin-Crust Pizzas and
Chicken ‘N’ Mojos, but the way to the top has not been easy.
Adapting to
a quick-service model became a failure because the core of Shakey’s are high-quality,
made-to-order products that are best shared with family and friends. The brand
could not provide these products at the same quality in one or two minutes and
at low prices. The food quality, service and store ambiance of Shakey’s
deteriorated as well, and many guests started to abandon the brand. By the
early 2000s, the brand was financially in trouble and the future for Shakey’s
became bleak.
In 2003, the
Shakey’s board saw the need for a major reorganization and to undergo a serious
change management process to survive and redeem its once lofty image to the
market. A new executive team was put in place with the current President and
CEO Vicente Gregorio as head of the company. The idea to revitalize the
Shakey’s brand by bringing it back to its core DNA came from Mr. Gregorio.
The brand
position of “Fun, Family, Pizza” was introduced and it became Shakey’s focus.
Being a product of the Shakey’s brand, Mr. Gregorio saw this as a logical
strategy. His career at Shakey’s started in the mid-80s when he worked as a
crew. During this time, the brand was number one. Mr. Gregorio brought with him
a strong understanding of the brand and what made it tick for its chosen
market. He also brought back with him 12 years of rich experience after leading
other local and foreign restaurant brands.
Mr. Gregorio
also introduced the Shakey’s Wow Culture, which emphasizes the need to always
be better than before, better than others, and better than expected. He made it
clear that the new Shakey’s Mission was to “WOW the Guests.” Under the new
Shakey’s Executive and Management team. the need to be truly guest-centric was
considered very crucial.
Because of
the changes since 2003, Shakey’s and the company has delivered 16 consecutive
years of double-digit growth in sales and profits. This is a feat that has
never been done by any brand in the country before. Now, after 45 years,
Shakey’s has remained to be a brand that is well-loved and trusted.
A change in
majority ownership in April 2016 and the subsequent IPO in December 2016 has
allowed Shakey’s and the company to have access to bigger and better resources,
further improving the brand’s position to sustain business growth and
relevance.
The year
2020 has started with a bang for Shakey’s. In the first two months, the company
was on track to achieve its 17th consecutive year of high growth until this
Covid-19 struck. Despite the crisis and the tough ECQ conditions, Shakey’s has
managed to adjust quickly and adopt the necessary changes.
To date,
almost all of Shakey’s stores have reopened and have performed relatively well
compared with others. It is proof that the Shakey’s brand is truly resilient
and it remains relevant to its guests even in a time of crisis.
Shakey’s
recognizes that the path to full recovery will be slow. But the company remains
confident and ready to take advantage of any opportunities that will come. The
game plan is to bring back the brand to its familiar growth mode as soon as
possible.
Since
partial dine-in has been allowed. Shakey’s is excited to welcome its guests
back and reintroduce them to the wowing restaurant experience that they were
most fond of. A lot of changes are implemented to ensure the safety of the
guests and staff. Health and Safety has always been a commitment of the brand,
and now, it has put an even higher standard of safety protocols to make sure
that the guests will know, feel and see that everything is safe in Shakey’s.
And as a way
of thanking its very loyal guests, Shakey’s is celebrating its 45th anniversary
with 45% off on Solo and Buddy Pack orders of Chicken ‘N’ Mojos when guests
present a valid SuperCard. This is available until June 30, 2020 for Dine-in,
Carry-out and Delivery.
Strong as
ever, after 45 years of business in the Philippines, Shakey’s has proven that
through earthquakes, coup d'états, typhoons, volcano eruptions, economic crisis
and other adversities— through thin and thick, the brand has got what it takes
to survive and grow. This can be attributed to our very supportive shareholders,
very dedicated and capable employees, franchise partners, valued suppliers, and
of course, our very important guests.
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