Calda Pizza means “hot pizza” in Italian and had its beginnings in Lahug, Cebu City in January 2008. Conceived by a Cebu-based couple, Bernard and Frances Therese Palang, the pizza chain started with a capital of PhP 400,000. But prior this venture, Bernard worked in the family-owned furniture business while Frances heads a chemical repackaging business.
With success already in the bag after only the first year, they eventually ventured out of Cebu and opened their first branch in Quezon City. They sacrificed their respective jobs to concentrate in their new business. Frances’ attention is devoted with the administration and commissary works while Bernard is in charge of marketing, expansion and franchise expansion as well as the daily operations of company owned branches.
Now more than three years later, it has taken the country by storm as around 35 branches have opened nationwide.
The simple opening rites started with Ex-PNP Chief Gen. Robert Lastimoso and the first lady of Iloilo Province, Mrs. Cossette Defensor, leading the ribbon cutting. A short mass officiated by Father Name of Parish followed after which the blessing of the restaurant commenced.
Despite the heavy downpour, it was well attended by friends, relatives and media who did not only savor but observe how these pizzas were made.
“Calda Pizza not only makes great tasting pizza but customers can watch how their orders are prepared” opens up Rommel Lastimoso, whose family owns this franchised branch. “Patrons can see through our kitchen how our pizzas are prepared from the dough being flattened to their order size, to what toppings are in their pizza and finally off to the oven.”
“We offer a very extensive pizza menu with almost 25 flavours in all!” he continues. And I couldn’t agree more seeing what’s on the list. Flavours include the familiar like Pepperoni, Margherita and Hawaiian to undoubtedly Italian sounding names like Roma, Napoletana, Milanese and Etna.
But don’t’ fret for they also have Filipiniana variant that consists of chorizo de Cebu, ground beef, roasted garlic, onions and garlic on top of mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. They also have Italian specialties made into pizza like Bolognese (think of that pasta having lots of ground beef) and
Calzone, a closed baked pizza having ham, onions, mushrooms and pineapple with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese just like that Italian filled bread.
The specialty of the house is Calda which has ham, salami, onions, bell pepper and ground beef with mozzarella and tomato sauce. They also have Quattro Stagione; four flavours in one pizza consisting of Bolognese, Hawaiian, Etna and Calda quadrants
New and exciting flavours include Mantova having smoked cream dory fillet with fresh tomatoes and green bell peppers. The Tuscania has toppings of meatloaf Toscana, ground beef and mushrooms while the Florentina has Italian sausage, onions, summer sausage, meatloaf Toscana and green bell pepper.
“And we have biggest pizza in town – the 36-incher Extra Large size pizza available for all flavours” he says with pride. “We also have smaller sizes are the 11-inch Regular, 16-inch Family, a 22-inch Extra Large and 30-inch Super sizes”
During the opening day, they gave guests a treat to not only one but four Extra Large pizzas. “It was to show our guests that our pizzas not only come big in size but also big in taste” Rommel said.
“Each extra super sized pizza can yield up to 50 slices and good even more than enough to satisfy even the biggest appetite” he says with a smile. He also mentioned the possibility of customers importing orders from other restaurants in the complex, so that customers can also have more variety and convenience. “We maybe competitors but our products are very different so it’s one healthy competition the same time helping each other out.”
With success already in the bag after only the first year, they eventually ventured out of Cebu and opened their first branch in Quezon City. They sacrificed their respective jobs to concentrate in their new business. Frances’ attention is devoted with the administration and commissary works while Bernard is in charge of marketing, expansion and franchise expansion as well as the daily operations of company owned branches.
Now more than three years later, it has taken the country by storm as around 35 branches have opened nationwide.
NOW IN ILOILO
But Ilonggos need not to travel out as Calda Pizza recently opened its first branch in Iloilo City located at the 2nd level of the Vertex Building located between Smallville and the Riverside Boardwalk complex.
The simple opening rites started with Ex-PNP Chief Gen. Robert Lastimoso and the first lady of Iloilo Province, Mrs. Cossette Defensor, leading the ribbon cutting. A short mass officiated by Father Name of Parish followed after which the blessing of the restaurant commenced.
RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES
Despite the heavy downpour, it was well attended by friends, relatives and media who did not only savor but observe how these pizzas were made.
“Calda Pizza not only makes great tasting pizza but customers can watch how their orders are prepared” opens up Rommel Lastimoso, whose family owns this franchised branch. “Patrons can see through our kitchen how our pizzas are prepared from the dough being flattened to their order size, to what toppings are in their pizza and finally off to the oven.”
A LOT OF FLAVOURS
“We offer a very extensive pizza menu with almost 25 flavours in all!” he continues. And I couldn’t agree more seeing what’s on the list. Flavours include the familiar like Pepperoni, Margherita and Hawaiian to undoubtedly Italian sounding names like Roma, Napoletana, Milanese and Etna.
But don’t’ fret for they also have Filipiniana variant that consists of chorizo de Cebu, ground beef, roasted garlic, onions and garlic on top of mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. They also have Italian specialties made into pizza like Bolognese (think of that pasta having lots of ground beef) and
Calzone, a closed baked pizza having ham, onions, mushrooms and pineapple with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese just like that Italian filled bread.
The specialty of the house is Calda which has ham, salami, onions, bell pepper and ground beef with mozzarella and tomato sauce. They also have Quattro Stagione; four flavours in one pizza consisting of Bolognese, Hawaiian, Etna and Calda quadrants
New and exciting flavours include Mantova having smoked cream dory fillet with fresh tomatoes and green bell peppers. The Tuscania has toppings of meatloaf Toscana, ground beef and mushrooms while the Florentina has Italian sausage, onions, summer sausage, meatloaf Toscana and green bell pepper.
SIZE MATTERS
“And we have biggest pizza in town – the 36-incher Extra Large size pizza available for all flavours” he says with pride. “We also have smaller sizes are the 11-inch Regular, 16-inch Family, a 22-inch Extra Large and 30-inch Super sizes”
During the opening day, they gave guests a treat to not only one but four Extra Large pizzas. “It was to show our guests that our pizzas not only come big in size but also big in taste” Rommel said.
“Each extra super sized pizza can yield up to 50 slices and good even more than enough to satisfy even the biggest appetite” he says with a smile. He also mentioned the possibility of customers importing orders from other restaurants in the complex, so that customers can also have more variety and convenience. “We maybe competitors but our products are very different so it’s one healthy competition the same time helping each other out.”
As Calda Pizza plans of having more branches across the Philippines, it is also planning to launch its own pasta line, chicken recipes and more. “But in the meantime, we have a lot of pizza offerings to choose from that will satisfy the discriminating taste buds of the Ilonggos” Rommel finishes.
Calda Pizza Iloilo is open from 9am until past midnight. For reservations and deliveries, please call 329-5731.
(Some information were sourced from the June 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine)
Calda Pizza Iloilo is open from 9am until past midnight. For reservations and deliveries, please call 329-5731.
(Some information were sourced from the June 2011 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine)