Gerry Apolinario, head honcho of Gerry’s Grill, has taken on a new role.
For many years, his company has played franchisor to his restaurant (120 branches by end of year), both here and abroad. Just recently, they decided to be a franchisee themselves by bringing in food institution Asador de Aranda.
The Spanish roast house expands to the Philippines
Born in August 1983, the family-owned Spanish brand opened its very first location in Madrid’s Plaza de Castilla. Specializing on meat, like their very popular Castilian milk-fed lamb, the demand went beyond Spain, forcing them to expand in other countries, notably Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar, consequently making it a successful chain. Its growth further crawled to Asia, opening a branch in Manila. At the EcoPlaza Building along Chino Roces, to be exact. And the one responsible for that is none other than Gerry.
“He has gone to Spain a lot,” says Francis Villaluz, the vice president for marketing of the Prime Pacific Grill Corporation in which Gerry’s Grill is under. “And when you check Google for the best asador, this brand comes up. It’s up there on the search. So Gerry tried it and kept coming back. When he went home, he said, ‘Guys, I just tried Asador de Aranda and I think it will work in the Philippines.’”
He believed in the brand so much that’s why he wanted the rest of his core team to feel the same to validate his hunch. So he flew them over in 2024 so they can taste the food for themselves. It only took one meal for everyone to be on board. They immediately reached out after knowing there were a few others from the Philippines who also expressed interest, met with the owners, and sealed the deal.
Bringing Spain’s traditional asador experience to Manila
Unlike Gerry’s Grill where they have full control, this one, as a franchisee, they have to coordinate everything and let them know their every move. Like tweaking the decor for their interiors.
“Most of their stores are very traditional. Ours is similar in look but not the same,” says Francis. “Our market here is younger, and they might not look attractive to them if it’s old-looking. Theirs is a lot darker. A lot of wood. We met in the middle.” The result is a spacious 80-seater decked with mirrors on the walls, bouncing off light coming from the chandeliers, making for a bright and airy room.
At the far end of the space is a Josper oven, which will be used for the roast chicken, lamb chops and rib eye steak; an equipped kitchen that will be churning out the tapas like the Patatas Bravas, Gambas, Callos and Croquettes; and the oven, which Asador has become known for.
For this, they flew in the father-son team who did the ovens for all of their branches. They built it up from scratch, with their bare hands and a couple of tools that came with them.
Why Filipinos will love Asador de Aranda
Even the menu they had to adjust to appeal to the local palate. “They’re open to the idea of us adding rice because the Filipino market will definitely be looking for that. So there’s paella. We had to add more tapas, too, just to complete the whole experience.”
He notes, “When you see the guests in Asador in Spain, you’ll see couples just enjoying cochinillo and bread and that would be their meal. So we said, it might not work in the Philippines, to have just one item for the whole night, that’s why we added more.”
The piece de resistance, of course, would be the meats. The suckling pig and the lamb come from Spain, from the same producer the original asador gets their supplies from, guaranteeing the same flavor and tenderness in every cook.
Not much goes on these meats, just simple seasoning and the aroma and flavor the roast imparts on them. Succulent and savory, the cochinillo and the lamb, no doubt, will be the fastest moving items in their menu. Besides, that’s what Asador de Aranda has become known for.
This is Gerry’s Grill breaking ground and expanding their territory. More foreign franchises and also new concepts are in the works. If Asador de Aranda is any indication of what else is to come, then Manila is definitely in for a quite a treat.
Asador de Aranda is located at Eco Plaza, 2305 Don Chino Roces Extension, Makati City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Asador de Aranda is a Spanish restaurant chain known for traditional Castilian roasts, especially cochinillo and milk-fed lamb.
The restaurant is located at EcoPlaza Building along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati City.
It is best known for its roast suckling pig (cochinillo) and Castilian milk-fed lamb (lechal).
Yes, the Makati branch is Asador de Aranda’s first location in Asia.
Yes. The menu includes tapas such as patatas bravas, gambas, croquettes, and callos.
Yes, the cochinillo and lamb come from the same Spanish supplier used by Asador de Aranda branches abroad.
A Josper oven is a charcoal-powered oven and grill used to cook meats with smoky flavor and high heat.
