Background
Born to second-generation Chinese- Japanese-Filipino parents, Sia grew up in Roxas City in Capiz, a small town 280 miles south of Manila. His parents ran a grocery store where Sia worked on weekends as a cashier from the age of 10.
Born to second-generation Chinese- Japanese-Filipino parents, Sia grew up in Roxas City in Capiz, a small town 280 miles south of Manila. His parents ran a grocery store where Sia worked on weekends as a cashier from the age of 10.
He went to the University of St. Agustin in nearby Iloilo City to study architecture but dropped out one year short of graduating. "My mind was always somewhere else," he admits.His wandering mind got fixated on starting his own venture.
In quick succession, he opened an express photo shop and a Laundromat. He then took a bank loan to set up a small budget hotel. But broader ambitions of going beyond his provincial roots got him thinking again. Along came the offer to rent a corner in an upcoming food hall. When a 250-meter slot in Robinson’s mall in Iloilo, was presented to Sia, he immediately reserved it despite not knowing what to put up yet. "The overhead at the time was low so it wasn't that risky," he says. With P2.4 million of borrowed money, Sia decided on inasal as the most viable dish after analyzing the different culinary specialty of the 16 regions.
Hence, in December 12, 2003, he opened the first store of Mang Inasal. Mang Inasal, which means "Mr. Barbecue" in the local Ilonggo dialect of the western Visayas region, from where Sia hails, almost missed out on its name.
Sia positioned Mang Inasal as an alternative quick service restaurant that serves charcoal-grilled chicken, wrapped its rice in banana leaf and uses bamboo sticks for its skewers. He also offered unlimited rice, becoming the first quick-service restaurant to do so.
At the beginning, Sia had to work long hours and helped in the cleaning of the store. After which, he would prepare and marinate the chicken for the next day. Sia also had no system for running the operation and no commissary to supply the raw materials. Not long, Sia’s Mang Inasal became a critical success in Visayas.
Within a year, Sia opened another branch in Roxas City. In the second year of operations, he opened six more and in the third year, another 20.
By 2009 Mang Inasal was on a rapid rollout, adding 100 outlets a year. Today the Sia siblings are aiming higher, with an eye on grabbing the No. 2 spot currently occupied by Jollibee-owned Chowking. They plan to grow the chain to 500 outlets by next year.
At age 10, Sia already helps out in the family business, stacking merchandise, taking inventories or manning the counter after school. It was with the family business that Sia developed the sixth sense for business. By age 20, he was already running multiple businesses which include a photo developing store (Injap Color Express), a 58-room three star hotel (Four Season Hotel), and a laundry shop (Mister Labada).
