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1. How and when did he start the business?

In 1975, Tony and his colleagues went on a visit to a Magnolia Ice Cream plant located in
Quezon City and learned that it was offering franchise when he saw a poster for it. By the month
of May, with his family savings, he took P350,000 to grab the franchise opportunity and opened
two Magnolia ice cream parlors named Cubao Ice Cream House located near the Coronet
Theater, and Quiapo Ice Cream House located beside the bridge ± the one going to ilalim ± near
a Mercury Drug outlet. They all worked hands-on but as the business propels, they noticed they
could not do it all so they started to set up an organization hired store managers, and trained
people.

Tony started with just two ice cream. Then after two years, he offered chicken and
hamburger sandwiches, because customers were telling them they didn¶t want to be eating ice
cream all the time. They prepared the food in the back kitchen, and soon noticed that people
were lining up more for hamburgers than for ice cream. Then in 1978, when they already had six
ice cream parlors, they asked themselves: ³Why don¶t we change into a hamburger house?´

That was also the time they decided to incorporate and realized thet they needed a brand
name. They were looking for a symbol that would represent the group, and because Tony was
very impressed with Disneyland characters, they decided on a bee. The bee is a busy creature
that produces honey ± one of life¶s sweetest things. They thought it would be a very
good symbol to represent everybody. They decided they would all be very busy and happy at the
same time, because if they were busy but not happy, it wouldn¶t be worth it. That¶s why they put
the word jolly and just changed the ³y´ into ³i´ to form a brand name - r

.

Jollibee group has also become bigger. Now they have Chowking, Greenwich,
Delifrance, and the recently acquired Red Ribbon. Greenwich pizza started as an over-the-
counter pizza store at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, Metro Manila, in 1971. One
time, the founder approached Tony to ask if they were interested ± at that time she has
50 kiosks and having difficulty managing the business ± when she asked them if they were
interested, Tony said, ³why not? Let¶s form a joint venture.´ They took over the management in
1994, but they retained the taste of her products because it suits the local market. On the other
hand, they took over Chowking in 2000 because Chinese food is also very popular among
Filipinos, but there was no good company serving the market. So they took over and worked on it.

2. What are the types / lines /nature of these business?

A food store that shares their success with people; they give good compensation; they
share any honor that comes their way.

3. What were the challenges that he have met?

Tony was the third of seven siblings born to poor parents who migrated from the Fujian
province in China to look for a better life here in the Philippines. His father began as a chef in a
Chinese Temple. Not later on his father was invited to open a restaurant business in Davao so
the whole family moved south. All together, they helped one another in managing the restaurant
business which in turn became profitable. This allowed young Tony to return back to Manila and
pursue his course Chemical Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
4. What values or lessons did you learn from him?

Tony Tan Caktiong¶s Life and his Jollibee company is another rags to riches story of an
entrepreneur that truly inspires everyone. I am inspired with this successful story of Tony Tan
Caktiong. It shows us how discipline and hardwork made a poor person one of our country¶s
richest persons now. I also like how they got their company name- Jollibee. They decided they
would all be very busy and happy at the same time, because if they were busy but not happy, it
wouldn¶t be worth it. It really is important to be happy for us to enjoy life.