SA pagbubukas nila ng 12th branch ng Korean restaurant na BB.Q Chicken, tinanong namin si Richelle Singson kung bakit sila na-involve sa chicken restaurant business?
Lahad ni Richelle, “We have a lot of partnerships with Korea, so we have businesses in real estate, in aviation and defense with a lot of our Korean business partners.
“So we were introduced also to the retail sector, and that’s when BB.Q Chicken was introduced to us, because BB.Q Chicken is, I think, in almost 60 countries and then 4,000 restaurants now worldwide.
“So they wanted to enter into the Philippine market, and then they also said that the chicken market here is very lucrative, so that’s why we said, okay, let’s bring BB.Q Chicken in here.”
Natanong si Richelle kung siya ba ay K-drama fan na tulad ng maraming Pilipino.
“Not as much, but I watch a little bit.”
Ang paborito raw niya ay ang Korean actor na si Lee Seung-gi na dinala ng ama ni Richelle na si former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson sa Pilipinas dahil endorser ito ng BB.Q Chicken
“Yeah, we met him, and he promotes BB.Q Chicken, I’m familiar with his movies and series.”
Ilan sa mga K-drama series ni Lee Seung-gi ay ang ‘My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho’ (2010), ‘The King 2 Hearts’ (2012), A Korean Odyssey (2017–2018), Vagabond (2019), Mouse (2021) at The Law Cafe (2022).
Ano ang pakiramdam na ang dating napapanood lamang niya sa K-drama series ay nakaharap at nakausap niya?
“I was surprised because he’s very humble,” bulalas ni Richelle.
“Mga Korean, kasi napakabait nila, hindi sila arrogant, so they’re very respectful, he was like that when I met him, when we met him.”
May plano sila na kumuha ng local celebrity bilang brand ambassador ng BB.Q Chicken.
“Eventually, yes. So for example, we had a campaign on introducing local chefs to mix it with our menu sa BB.Q [Chicken] so si chef Tatung Sarthou, who’s a local chef, nag-create siya ng parang adobo burger for BB.Q Chicken, so it was a collaboration.
“So, we’re starting to localize our menu, and then eventually, we will also have a local celebrity endorser,” wika pa ni Richelle.
“All of the shops are very successful. We are targeting to build around three hundred restaurants in the next five years,” dagdag pang sinabi ni Richelle nang nakausap namin sa opening ng bago nilang BB.Q Chicken branch sa Festival Mall sa Alabang.
Pag-aari ng kapatid ni Richelle na si Carleen Singson ang naturang branch.
Wala siyang sariling branch at masaya raw siya na sumuporta sa mga kapatid niya.
Naging judge si Richelle sa Miss Universe 2018 na ginanap sa Thailand kung saan nanalo ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas na si Catriona Gray.
Ang Miss Universe 2017 na si Demi Leigh Nel-Peters (na asawa na ngayon ng American football player na si Tim Tebow) ng South Africa ang nagsalin ng korona kay Catriona.
Ang ama ni Richelle ang major sponsor ng 65th Miss Universe na ginanap sa Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, noong January 23, 2017.
Hindi ba nila naisip na bilhin ang Miss Universe franchise?
“There’s no point e, kasi we’re just fully supportive naman of Miss Universe and there are people in place already running it.
“Pero anytime that they need help, we’re always just there to assist them and support them, connect them to whatever sponsors that they need.
“We’re still very much involved, just not a formal responsibility, kasi mahirap din yung responsibility that they have e, they have to mount so many shows, they have to make sure they sell to so many sponsors, event production is very hard.”
Si Richelle ay isang pulitiko, kasalukuyan siyang Congresswoman ng Ako Ilocano Ako Partylist at muli siyang tatakbo sa susunod na eleksyon.
(ROMMEL L. GONZALES)
