Binalot - Paranaque City, Philippines

Filipinos love to eat, which explains why practically every major global food brand is in the country; fast food brands, especially. These international franchises and their local imitations dominate. Filipino dining taste, in turn, has become very Western.It was this way until a band of young entre-Pinoys realized, in 1996, that the Philippines has as much to contribute to the culinary world as burgers & french fries, pizzas & spaghettis, plastic spoons & styropacks. Their Filipino pride pursued the rebirth of Pinoy classics - adobo & bistek, tapa & tocino, sisig & longganisa, even salted egg & tomato against the onslaught of “Colonel Sanders, Ray Krock and his jolly clone”.Their flash of inspiration led to the re-discovery of an age-old but very clever Filipino dining practice much  

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better than styro lunch packs – banana leaves! Equally clever, their “banana insight” inspired the birth of BINALOT Fiesta Foods.Today, the “adobo pride” is being proven right. In just a little more than 12 years (and without the international financial resources of multinationals), BINALOT has grown from a humble stall in Shaw to a 40 franchise-strong major franchise player competing with the fastfood icons. 8 out of 10 are franchise stores, proof of the solid BINALOT franchise formula. An early testament to its potential was mall giant SM’s offer in 1998 to locate in SM Southmall and SM Megamall, just 2 years old in the business.Its “All-Time Pinoy-Vorites” main menu – 10 of the most popular Pinoy dishes – now gives Filipino consumers affordability and value-for-money superior to the “one-piece chicken meal” routine. And the “banana leaves” are a welcome refreshing substitute to the non-biodegradable styro box.BINALOT’s ultimate vision to become the number one, truly Filipino fast food restaurant (or as it creatively puts it “ANG PAMBANSANG TSIBUGAN”) reflects not so much its business ambition as its belief, its ADVOCACY in fact, that Filipino food is among the best, that lo