A successful entrepreneur shared how he went from selling ‘ihaw-ihaw’ to a steakhouse owner with three branches in just less than a year.
Mhiko and Grace David of 1221 shared their humble beginnings and motivation in building their steakhouse. According to Mhiko, they wanted to offer delicious but affordable steak that an average Pinoy can afford to eat almost everyday.
Their price range is between P99 to P200+ per sizzling steak. Their bestseller sizzling sinigang steak costs P219. To complete the steakhouse experience, you can even pair it with wine for P75 per serving. You can also add P30 to turn your order into unlimited rice and gravy.
“Ang concept ng 1221 ay hinuli namin ang panlasang pinoy pero ginamit namin yung steak. Meron kaming sizzling sinigang steak at sizzling caldereta steak. Makakain ka ng masarap na steak sa affordable price,” Mhiko said on Pera Paraan.
According to Mhiko, he dedicated their business to his late father who enjoyed eating steaks. The name 1221 was his late father’s birthday and also the day he opened their business, December 2021.
Mhiko recalled they used to sell ‘ihaw-ihaw’ before they were able to build their steakhouse business. In less than a year, they were able to expand it to 3 branches. They were able to bring in huge profits as each branch earns an average of P8,000 to P10,000 a day. So, in a month, one branch earns around P300,000.
Advice to Entrepreneurs
The entrepreneur explained that they earn a profit of around P60 to P90 per sizzling steak. He said while their profit isn’t that big, they make up for it by quantity. “Though maliit yung kinikita namin, bumabawi kami sa maramihan. Kasi yung dagsa ng tao marami eh, may pila, so doon na lang kami bumabawi,” Mhiko said.
“Marami kang kalaban, so dapat maging unique ka tapos ibigay mo sa masa. Kasi yung masa yung tumatangkilik talaga,” Mhiko added.
If you’re interested in venturing into the food business, you can start by reading inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs. You can learn business tips from Joel Torre when he started JT’s Manukan or the inspiring story of how a valenciana business that started from P1,000 capital is now earning 6-digit profits monthly.
How To Make Sizzling Sinigang Steak
Begin by blanching vegetables in water. In a boiling pot of water, add tomatoes, ‘siling pangsigang’, onions, and string beans. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them from the water and set them aside.
In the same pot of water, start adding the patis and sinigang powder. Add in cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. Season it with a dash of pepper. You can turn off the heat when the mixture reduces and thickens. This will be the sauce of the sizzling sinigang.
T-Bone steak is used for the meat. It comes from the beef short loin, which is where the most tender and popular steak cuts come from. After marinating the T-Bone, you can start grilling it. At the same time, start heating the sizzling plate.
Once the T-Bone is cooked and the hot plate is ready, start assembling the sizzling sinigang steak. Place the veggies, then the T-Bone, and drizzle it with the sizzling sinigang sauce. Serve it hot and sizzling!
You can watch the video from GMA’s Youtube channel:
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