A new take on chicken inasal

How do you make yourself unique in a market that seems saturated? Simple. Offer something the market does not have yet – a blue ocean strategy.

Such was the business model of Treena Cueva-Tecson when she thought about what to do after she gave up her full-time marketing and PR career two years ago to be a wife and mom.

Born and raised in Bacolod, Treena noted that the chicken inasal sold in Manila does not taste the way it should. “The inasal in Manila are sweet, dry, and not cooked well. I know how inasal should taste like. Ilonggos would really know the authentic taste of inasal,” says Treena. “And the inasal places in Manila sell inasal by the stick (ex.: paa, pecho). No one is selling whole chicken inasal.”

Armed with her mom’s recipe, P250,000 in capital, and husband Adrian’s all-out support, Treena worked out the details of Tambokikoy’s—her new inasal business. Tambokikoy is the Ilonggo word for chubby. Treena envisioned it as a take-out place that would sell authentic-tasting whole chicken inasal.

Tambokikoy’s chicken inasal is cooked rotisserie-style over charcoal—not electric grill—and chopped two minutes after it is done cooking. “In that way, the juice goes back; it doesn’t dry out,” says Treena.

Her pricing strategy is to offer the food items at a price lower than others do. “I want a lot of people to try our inasal, so we made it affordable. It’s a healthier alternative to fried chicken and fried pork chop. Even my daughter Hailey eats it,” adds Treena. Whole chicken is only P199. Half chicken is P100. A quarter chicken with garlic rice goes for P75 (fast-food places offer a small one-piece chicken and rice at a price higher than that). And pork chop with garlic rice is P65.

And the market response has been very good. Since Tambokikoy’s started operations this September 1, office people and families have been dropping by to order take out from lunch time until dinner time seven days a week (it’s open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.). It helps that Tambokikoy’s is in a very good location right across the Mandaluyong City Hall on Maysilo Circle, the crossroad to San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Manila.

“I gauge my success with the people who come by,” says Treena. “They’re no longer friends and family. They have heard about Tambokikoy’s from others through word of mouth and from our friends in radio and magazines.”

By December, Treena is expecting to hit her return on investment. Franchising inquiries have already started to come in even as Treena says she is not yet ready to franchise.

“One of my regular customers said I got the 3Ms: Mabilis, Masarap, at Mura. Fast, Delicious and Affordable. Our satisfaction is in seeing people enjoy our chicken inasal and come back,” says Treena.

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