Angeles City—Bao Street, the fastest-growing ambulant food concept, has invaded the streets of Pampanga which is known as the center of Philippine culinary following the opening of its franchise here on Dec 2.
Mounted on a motorcycle with sidecar, Bao Street navigated the major streets in this city to offer unique preparations of traditional dishes such as adobo (chicken and pork), asado, lechon kawali, and bagnit.
The filling is wrapped in soft dough similar to the Chinese traditional siopao. The preparation is easy, but Bao Street adds a touch of class for its market.
Bryan Patrick Lewis, president and chief executive of Bao Street Food Corp., said he started the business with $300 as initial investment in March during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I adapted to the food delivery service. My concept is to bring a variety of traditional food prepared and packed in a unique way. In fact, we already have 89 branches mostly in Quezon City and first in Angeles City,” Lewis said.
He said Bao Street store can move in areas where people converge. “It’s a sort of a rolling store but the only difference is, we offer easy-to-prepare food at customer’s convenience,” he said.
Lewis said Bao Street plans to expand not only in Luzon but also in the Visayas and Mindanao. “Before the end of this year, we would open another store in Tarlac City, Laoag City, and other areas in Ilocos Region,” he said.
“We are currently working on the logistical problems that we are encountering right now since we are a new company and how we can reach these regions,” he said.
Lewis said Bao Street is open for franchising for P330,000, inclusive of the cart and a brand -new motorcycle.
He said Bao Street opened a franchise in Angeles because it is known as a culinary center. “There should be a Bao Street in the Food Capital of the Philippines to represent our company,” he said.
“We put pride in our food and company, with our competent security and health officers checking the quality of products every day. First and foremost is the quality of food,” Lewis said.
He said Bao Street is an innovation of the traditional ambulant food cart. He assured franchise holders of a return on investments within three to six months.