Congo Grille

Last updated
Congo Grille
Company typePublic
Industry Restaurants
Founded Quezon City, Philippines (1999;25 years ago (1999))
FounderKenneth Sytin, MBA
Headquarters Pasig, Philippines
Number of locations
10
Products Philippine cuisine
Grilled food
Website www.congogrille.com (defunct)

Congo Grille is a chain of family restaurants in the Philippines named for its African jungle-themed interiors. [1] In contrast to the decor, the cuisine is predominantly Filipino with a smidgen of Western and Chinese foods. The restaurant is also popularly known as The Sisig King for its recent achievements in a food feast celebrating the favorite Filipino dish. [2] The chain has plans to build stores overseas, especially in the United States. [3]

Contents

History

Congo Grille at SM City Clark, Angeles, Pampanga Congogrillebranch.jpg
Congo Grille at SM City Clark, Angeles, Pampanga

Congo Grille was established in 1999 by Kenneth Sytin and his brothers. That year, the business had as many as 13,000 customers a month and was dubbed "the fastest growing grill in town." [4] In 2006, Congo Grille participated in the Annual Sisig Festival held in Angeles City. Their pork sisig and two other sisig dishes won first prizes in the major categories. [5] [6]

The restaurant operates based on three concepts; a Philippine restaurant in an air conditioned environment, food without monosodium glutamate, and a mascot (an ape in a safari outfit) for entertaining youngsters. [1] Congo Grille was opened for franchising in 2008. [7]

The first franchised-operated store opened at the Araneta Center in 2009. [2]

Charities

A common meal of sisig, rice and iced tea Congogrillorder.jpg
A common meal of sisig, rice and iced tea

In 2007, Congo Grille, along with other companies, organized a party to feed 407 children of low-income families in the city of Valenzuela. This was part of a program dealing with nationwide hunger. [8]

Two years later, they teamed up with local television network GMA in feeding low-income individuals. Workers of the restaurant chain offered meals to 300 people in Quezon City, its birthplace. Toys and other collectibles were also donated. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taco Bell</span> American fast-food chain

Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty, and speciality items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2023, Taco Bell serves over two billion customers each year, at 8,212 restaurants, more than 94 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast-food restaurant</span> Type of restaurant

A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burger King</span> Global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in Florida

Burger King Corporation is an American multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant chain. After Insta-Burger King ran into financial difficulties, its two Miami-based franchisees David Edgerton (1927–2018) and James McLamore (1926–1996) purchased the company in 1959 and renamed it "Burger King". Over the next half-century, the company changed hands four times and its third set of owners, a partnership between TPG Capital, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, took it public in 2002. In late 2010, 3G Capital of Brazil acquired a majority stake in the company in a deal valued at US$3.26 billion. The new owners promptly initiated a restructuring of the company to reverse its fortunes. 3G, along with its partner Berkshire Hathaway, eventually merged the company with the Canadian-based doughnut chain Tim Hortons under the auspices of a new Canadian-based parent company named Restaurant Brands International.

Quiz Holdings, LLC, doing business as Quiznos, is an American franchised fast-food restaurant based in Denver that specializes in offering toasted submarine sandwiches. It was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Lambatos and sold to Rick and Richard Schaden ten years later. It then grew to nearly 5,000 restaurants; by 2013, Quiznos was the second-largest submarine sandwich shop chain in North America, behind Subway. It filed for bankruptcy in 2014; by 2016, it had dropped to ninth place, and the number of Quiznos locations in the United States fell from a 2007 high of 4,700 to just 400 a decade later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jollibee</span> Filipino fast food restaurant chain

Jollibee is a Filipino chain of fast food restaurants owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) which serves as its flagship brand. As of September 2023, there were over 1,500 Jollibee outlets worldwide, with restaurants in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Pollo Loco</span> American and Mexican fast food restaurant chains

El Pollo Loco is the name of three independent restaurant chains that specialize in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The Mexican and American companies were founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa while the Filipino company began as a franchisee of the American company in 1991 that later broke free of its contract and was allowed to retain its trademarks within the Philippines in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakey's Pizza</span> Pizzeria restaurant chain based in the United States

Shakey's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in the United States and Philippines. Founded in 1954, it was the first franchise pizza chain in the United States. In 1968, the chain had 342 locations. The chain had about 500 stores globally, and 58 in the United States, as of July 2019. Currently, the stores can be found in the states of California and Washington, as well as in the Philippines, Singapore and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenwich Pizza</span> Filipino pizza and pasta restaurant chain

Greenwich Pizza, also known as Greenwich, is a pizza and pasta chain in the Philippines. It was founded in 1971 by Cresida Tueres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Rogers Roasters</span> Chicken-based restaurant chain

Kenny Rogers Roasters is a chain of chicken-based restaurants founded in 1991 by country musician Kenny Rogers and former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr., who was a former governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Brown had been an early investor in Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1964 to 1971. During his successful music career, Rogers had appeared in several commercials for the Dole Food Company before founding this restaurant chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisig</span> Filipino dish that consists of pork scraps

Sisig is a Filipino dish made from pork jowl and ears (maskara), pork belly, and chicken liver, which is usually seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers. It originates from the Pampanga region in Luzon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chowking</span> Filipino fast food restaurant chain that specializes in Chinese-Filipino cuisine

Chowking is a Filipino fast food restaurant chain that serves Filipino Chinese cuisine. Founded in 1985, Chowking was acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation in 2000. It is widely considered the country's most popular restaurant of Chinese-Filipino food and was once the second-largest Filipino fast food chain. There are over 600 locations worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burger King products</span> Products of Burger King

When the predecessor of international fast food restaurant chain Burger King (BK) first opened in 1953, its menu predominantly consisted of hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts. After being acquired by its Miami, Florida franchisees and renamed in 1954, BK began expanding its menu by adding the Whopper sandwich in 1957, and has since added non-beef items such as chicken, fish, and vegetarian offerings, including salads and meatless sandwiches. Other additions include a breakfast menu and beverages such as Icees, juices, and bottled waters. As the company expanded both inside and outside the United States, it introduced localized versions of its products that conform to regional tastes and cultural or religious beliefs. To generate additional sales, BK occasionally introduces limited-time offers of special versions of its products, or brings out completely new products intended for either long- or short-term sales. Not all of these products and services have been successful; in 1992, Burger King introduced limited table service featuring special dinner platters, but this concept failed to generate interest and was discontinued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimpy (restaurant)</span> Restaurant chain

Wimpy is a fast-food chain that was founded in the United States. It found its success internationally, mainly in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has changed between being a table-service establishment and counter-service establishment throughout its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacolod Chicken Inasal</span> Philippine restaurant chain

Bacolod Chicken Inasal is a Filipino restaurant chain primarily serving inasal, a type of roast chicken served on skewers that originated in the Visayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dencio's</span> Restaurant group based in the Philippines

Dencio's Bar and Grill, simply referred to as Dencio's, is a group of restaurants based in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mang Inasal</span> Filipino fast food restaurant chain

Mang Inasal Philippines, Inc., or simply Mang Inasal, is a barbecue fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines established on December 12, 2003, in Iloilo City.

Jollibee Foods Corporation is a Philippine multinational company headquartered in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. JFC is the owner of the fast food brand Jollibee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Pollo Loco (United States)</span> Restaurant chain

El Pollo Loco, Inc., is a restaurant chain based in the United States, specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken. Restaurant service consists of: dine-in and take-out, with some locations offering drive-through options. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Go 'ape' over Congo Grille". Manila Standard Today. August 16, 2006. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  2. 1 2 "Sisig King franchise store opens in Cubao". Malaya - The National Newspaper. August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  3. Antonetta Valdez-Pua (September 8, 2006). "Secrets To Premium Grilled Food". Manila Bulletin Online. Retrieved 2008-12-28.[ dead link ]
  4. "Congo Grille creates perfect recipe for franchise success". The Daily Tribune. June 27, 2008. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  5. Reynaldo G. Navales (December 9, 2006). "Kapampangans show cooking skills at Sisig festival". Sun.Star Pampanga. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  6. dbmedia (2007-08-23). "Congo Grille Opens at Trimona". DBMedia. Retrieved on 2010-12-26.
  7. "'Sisig' king opens business opportunities at Franchise Expo". The Manila Times Internet Edition. August 31, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  8. "Nourishing the young through spoonfuls of joy". The Manila Times Internet Edition. November 4, 2007. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  9. "Congo Grille cooks for a cause". Malaya-The National Newspaper. February 9, 2009. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-15.