From working as a line cook to now owning over 60 branches of his eponymously named burger brand, Zark Varona is truly an inspiration to many.
Do not let his quiet, shy and humble character fool you. Zark is someone to take note of. Business savvy and passionate about what he does, this man approaches challenges with an open mind and a full heart. He started the company simply out of his love for burgers, so he figured why not create a recipe he’s obsessed with that he can share with the Philippines. 60 stores and 1000 employees later, Zark has collected multiple accolades and much deserved respect from the F&B world.
The unprecedented challenges that 2020 threw our way did not put a stop to his entrepreneurial spirit and desire to serve for he created fresh concepts despite the added hurdles. He now oversees Zark’s Burgers, Hangdogs, Hang Burgers, and Ray’s Hot Chicken plus his own bed and breakfast, Dalum La Union.
Hang Burgers in La Union is what he says is Zark’s “test or fun kitchen” where they can experiment before rolling out new products nationwide. His latest baby, Ray’s Hot Chicken brings Nashville fried chicken to Manila and is something he is quite proud of.
Read on to hear Zark’s perspective on the current F&B landscape, his advice, lessons learned, and thoughts about the future:
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How did the dining scene change for you and your company in 2020?
2020 was a tough year for the restaurant industry. With the quarantine restrictions and threat of getting sick from COVID, our sales dropped by more than 50 per cent. Fortunately for us, we have a strong and loyal following. Burgers also hold up well in delivery, so what we did was make a strategic pivot to tap the delivery market. Our fourth quarter in 2020 thankfully was better in terms of sales. We still have a long way to go, but there is hope already!
What were the lessons learned and what challenges did you and the business face during this pandemic?
We learned to be efficient in all aspects of our business. From the labor, rental expense, inventories, etc. We learned to make do with what we have too. I think that the whole industry will increase the efficiency and productivity level after the pandemic.
The biggest challenge I faced was to ensure we could pay our suppliers. Our inventories expired because we closed for almost 2 months and there were almost zero sales, but we needed to settle our obligations. It is a great thing that we have a good relationship with them and that they allowed us to pay gradually.
How has your experience been in adapting to creating takeaway offerings? What did you learn?
Our menu did not change that much. You can eat burgers any time of the day! People think of it as comfort food. We did add something new by creating Zarkada meals that cater to the whole family or friends stuck in their homes.
What COVID-19-related measures do you think are here to stay (even post-pandemic) and how do you feel about them?
The funny thing is, we were doing a lot of sanitation and good hygiene practices already even before the pandemic. This is part of our training already and [vital to our brand]. But because of the pandemic, we further appreciate the importance of being even more strict about [hygiene and health protocols] so we will not compromise any of patron’s wellbeing.
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