From box-office hits to flavorsome eats
Depending on your taste—or vintage—you might know Viva Entertainment for catapulting Sharon Cuneta to stardom, its glossy movies like “Working Girls” or youth-oriented flicks like “Bagets,” the enduring hits of Regine Velasquez and Sarah Geronimo, or the phenomenal love team of James Reid and Nadine Lustre.
But while its name is ubiquitous in film, television, and music, the corporation—unbeknown to many—has been steadily gaining a foothold in the food and beverage industry for the past 10 years through its subsidiary Viva Foods.
You probably have already tried the okonomiyaki at Botejyu, mille crepes at Paper Moon, Cuban sandwiches at Pepi Cubano, or frozen yogurt at Yogorino. And you might not realize that these are actually operated by Viva, until the server returns your change and receipt with a free ticket voucher to one of its movies, or a promo code to its streaming platforms, Viva One and Vivamax.
While it’s quite a departure from its original business model, Viva venturing into food does make perfect sense. After all, what do we usually do before or after going to the cinemas, or while binge-watching our favorite series at home? We eat.
“I think some people would agree that food is the best form of entertainment—at least it is, for me,” Viva Foods president and COO Vicente Raphael “VR” del Rosario IV told Lifestyle.
Del Rosario is admittedly quite shy. So perhaps it was only fitting that he ended up at the helm of a family business division that, while still showbiz-adjacent, isn’t directly in the spotlight.
“It’s a big and different market that veers away from traditional entertainment. But for me, they’re pretty much the same,” pointed out the executive, the youngest of four children of Viva’s head honcho Vicente “Boss Vic” del Rosario Jr.
Synergy
“We connect and synergize with the group’s other businesses as much as possible. We decide as one, we operate as one. So, when you’re at our stores, you may get vouchers to our entertainment platforms. Or, when you go watch our films, you may notice that a scene was shot at one of our restaurants,” added Del Rosario, who kept his speeches short and sweet at the opening of the SM Mall of Asia branches of the group’s three latest casual dining acquisitions.
Maple Tree House is an authentic Korean barbecue restaurant that offers premium, charcoal-grilled meats, like heukdwaeji samgyeopsal or black pork belly and its signature maple galbi or beef ribs.
Meanwhile, unlike other Taiwanese restaurants that focus on xiao long bao or soup dumplings, Du Hsiao Yueh aims to introduce other popular snack dishes from its home country, like lu rou fan or braised minced pork rice, and danzai noodles, a noodle soup dish with a pork, shrimp, and coriander base.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, Rossopomodoro is a chain that specializes in Neapolitan pizza. It also offers hearty pasta dishes, like classic carbonara and gnocchi alla sorrentina (potato dumplings baked in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese).
“We’re always on the lookout for brands that are traditional and authentic, but still fit the taste of Filipinos,” Del Rosario said.
Viva Foods was a brainchild of the elder Del Rosario. In one of his many trips to Tokyo, he got a taste of chef and cake supplier Emy Wada’s signature mille crepes, which she sold in her Paper Moon boutiques around the Japanese megalopolis. He loved it so much that it inspired him to bring the delicate, multilayered dessert to the Philippines.
As luck would have it, Wada—also one of the cofounders of the famous Lady M confections store in New York—is wife to Del Rosario’s Japanese longtime friend and business partner, Robert Wada.
Expanding portfolio
Since opening its first Paper Moon branch in 2015, Viva Foods—whose growing portfolio also includes Wing Zone, Greyhound Café, and Viva Café—has gone on to establish about 200 stores around the country. The company has also acquired the global rights to Botejyu, which is currently on track to open its 100th store by November.
“We already have a Botejyu branch up north in Tuguegarao and down south in General Santos City. Our principals in Japan were very happy with that. And so, our next plan will be to open one outside the country,” the younger Del Rosario said.
The ultimate goal, however, is to one day put up an original, homegrown brand that will help the company make a dent in the local culinary scene.
“It’s not easy. But while it’s difficult, the process is also very rewarding. And I’m just grateful to have the right people with me,” he said.
