Success Story of Edgar Sia

“In whatever you choose to do, pursue it with intense passion, and make
sure it is able to uplift the lives of others.”
-Edgar “Injap” Sia
The founder and CEO of Mang Inasal is Edgar “Injap “ Sia. He was
born in Iloilo City on January 09, 1997, and grew up in Roxas City, Capiz
province. He was the eldest of three children of Edgar Sia Sr., a Chinese-
Filipino, and Pacita Jaruda, a Filipino-Japanese. In fact, because of Injap's
parents' mixed heritage, his nickname was formed. "In" from "Instik"
(Chinese) and "Jap" from "Japanese."
At an early age, he was already aware of business; he spent his time at
their grocery store. While helping doing inventory, he made sure he was able to learn and adapt quickly, so he
observed the business operations of their supermarket grocery store. Here, Injap first learned how to improve sales and
customer experience through increased efficiency in the business. And still, at the young age of 15, Injap Sia
convinced his family to sell pandesal, cakes, and loaf bread in their grocery store, so he learned how to bake during
their vacation time. He studied at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City to be an architect but then he dropped
out, despite of this he’s entrepreneurial spirit did not fade. In 1997, when he was twenty he already ran several
businesses, such as a hotel known as People's Hotel, a 58-room 3-star hotel which is still in business to this day, he
also opened a Fuji Photo Shop where he developed films and pictures.
After six years, when December 2003 came, a 250-square-meter space used for a car park behind Robinsons
Place in Iloilo was offered to him at a very attractive price. Sia, made a quick decision even though he did not have
any idea what to do with what he bought, he only listened to his business instinct. He thought of a business that has
the potential to be nationwide. With only a 2.4 million pesos loan from his father, Injap Sia finally started the famous
"nuot sa sarap" chicken inasal (Hiligaynon word for barbecue) restaurant, Mang Inasal; the all-time favorite of the
Ilonggo. Because of his innovative spirit, the Inasal will be served in a fast-food chain style, it was first set up in Iloilo
City in 2003. Due to the success of the first Mang Inasal branch, Injap Sia was able to repay the 2.4 million pesos loan
from his father in less than a year. He bought his father a car worth 2.4 million pesos as payment for the debt. But in
his first year, he was really struggling and faced numerous challenges on his journey to success. One of the major
hurdles was intense competition in the industry, Sia had to differentiate his brand by offering flavorful and affordable
grilled chicken, along with unique Filipino side dishes. This helped Mang Inasal stand out and attract a loyal customer
base.
Another significant challenge was ensuring consistent quality across all outlets. Sia implemented strict standards and
protocols to maintain the taste and authenticity of their signature dishes, so because of the difficulty of what he was
going through, also pushed him to persevere. Sia has to do almost all the work, from maintaining the business to
preparing food as well as cleaning. He also focused on developing a reliable supply chain to ensure the availability of
high-quality ingredients. Expansion was another aspect that required careful planning and execution. Sia adopted a
franchise model, allowing Mang Inasal to rapidly expand its footprint across the Philippines. However, this expansion
came with its own set of challenges, including maintaining brand consistency and providing support to franchisees.
To overcome these obstacles, Sia demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a hands-on approach. He continuously
engaged with customers and received feedback to improve the dining experience. Sia also prioritized employee
development and created a positive work environment to foster loyalty and dedication among the team.
Despite these efforts, Mang Inasal faced several setbacks along the way.
Mang Inasal became successful in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, but as a self-proclaimed "promdi" (from
the province) businessman, Sia was hesitant to bring Mang Inasal to Manila. He admitted in one of his interviews that:
"I had the confidence to compete locally in the province, but it was a different thing to compete with businesses in the
larger, more sophisticated, more organized, and crowded cities like Metro Manila. Most probinsyanos (people from
the province) like me don't have the confidence for that—it's like a given that you have less experience, less
capability."
For instance, in 2006, people from Manila finally got a taste of Mang Inasal. It was also where Mang Inasal
first introduced the "Unli-Rice" promo. This was considered a "make-or-break" business venture for Sia due to his
being a promdi businessman. At this point in October 2010, four years after the first Mang Inasal branch opened in
Luzon, Jollibee Food had acquired 70% of Mang Inasal for 3 billion pesos. Sia saw it as an opportunity to gain
knowledge about the business industry and gain a business partner in the form of a self-made billionaire from a fast-
food chain, just like him. In seven years, Mang Inasal grew to 338 branches nationwide before being acquired by
Jollibee. From this, at the young age of only 34, Injap Sia became the youngest billionaire in the Philippines. But apart
from the billions of pesos Sia received from Jollibee, there was something he gained that cannot be measured in
billions of pesos. That is the mentorship from the one and only Tony Tan Caktiong, Chairman and Founder of Jollibee
Food Corporation. In April 2016, Jollibee acquired the remaining 30% stake in Mang Inasal for 2 billion pesos.
As a result, Mang Inasal remains one of the most popular fast-food chains in the country with more than
450 brands nationwide and generates more than 12 billion pesos in sales revenue across the system and also continues
double-digit sales growth yearly.
Currently, Tan and Sia are business partners. They serve as Co-Chairmen of DoubleDragon Properties
Corporation. DoubleDragon is the developer and operator of DoubleDragon Plaza and DD Meridian Park in Pasay
City, the CityMall chain of commercial centers, Hotel 101 at the Fort, CentralHub, Jinjiang Inn in Makati, Jollibee
Towers in Ortigas, UP Town Place, Dragon 8 Shopping Center, and First Homes Iloilo. Injap Sia's business empire
also includes Injap Investments Inc., Merrymart Consumer Corp., and Hotel of Asia Inc. His total wealth is estimated
to reach 17.9 billion pesos. At 46 years old, he is the 40th richest Filipino according to Forbes. And still, the youngest
Filipino self-made billionaire.
In conclusion, Edgar “Injap” Sia showed all the traits, attributes, and characteristics of an entrepreneur that
prove of his remarkable success. At first, he did not know what the future but he just go and keep doing what he
currently doing with a passion that led him to a successful life.