One of the most beloved, Pinoy-favorite halo-halo is coming to town!
Razon’s of Guagua is eyeing ten branches in Dubai, starting with their first branch bound to open by year-end in Al Wasl Building, Karama, an executive told The Filipino Times.
Known for its signature Halo-halo, Pancit Luglug, and other Kapampangan dishes, the restaurant currently has 78 branches in the Philippines, and aims to further expand its portfolio abroad, starting with Dubai.
“Since the population of Filipinos in the Middle East is growing very fast, we felt that [Dubai] is an obvious choice to start our branch abroad,” Jose Razon, Executive Vice President of Razon’s Food Corp. (RFC) told TFT.
Two years ago, RFC agreed on a joint-venture with local players Edris Alrafi and Walid Abdullah to establish branches in Dubai.
“[Our partners] asked around, they did some due diligence on what product they can bring to Dubai to satisfy our kababayans, the Filipino community there, and they felt that our brand was good enough to be marketed in Dubai,” Razon shared.
The famed restaurant will tweak its dishes to fit the taste of the Middle East community and feature new chicken and beef products, but the projected best-seller in Dubai, Razon said, will most likely still be the Halo-halo.
“Our halo-halo is something that I’m sure [even the foreigners] will appreciate because it’s a warm country… It’s practically warm the whole year round and our food, we feel, is refreshing,” he explained.
Besides the upcoming Karama branch, RFC is also looking at Dubai Healthcare City, Al Ghurair Mall, and other locations that the local partners are still considering, he disclosed.
“Our joint-venture includes…other Middle East states, but [our branching out] depends on how our partners will look at it…it really depends on how it goes in Dubai. Everything will be planned based on [its success],” Razon said.
Photo credit: aizagranica via Razon’s Facebook Page
