From Zero to Zark: A Burger Story
Kyle John Antonio in Ang Pinoy Stories
Oct 15, 2019 • 2 min Read
Zark’s Burgers is one of the fastest growing homegrown burger brands in the Philippines because of its delicious taste and high-quality food products. It grabbed headlines in 2017 because of its eight peso burger promo that attracted huge crowds and caused stampede. Their Ultimate Burger costs 80 times as much on a regular day.
Who is the man behind Zark’s Burger? He is Rolandrei Viktor Varona, a former cruise ship worker, and simply Zark to his friends and family. He opened a 16-seater burger joint in Taft in 2009 after a failed noodle business in Divisoria. He came up with “fresh, huge, and great” burgers that were incredibly loaded, innovative, greasy, and of topnotch quality at affordable prices.
Ten years ago, Zark’s Burger attracted students with delicious and affordable burger. Today, Zark’s Burger has 60 franchise branches nationwide.
In 2019, the President and CEO of Zark’s Food Ventures Corp. is a finalist in SGV’s Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2019. He is chosen for being one of the “country’s most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs.”
His entrepreneurial journey included his cousins and big clan who joined him in handing out flyers and participated in taste tests as enthusiastic food tasters.
In a Facebook post, his mother (the critic and writer Inday Espina–Varona) wrote: “…His first store, on the second level of a building with Army Navy Burgers on the ground floor, was so small we wondered how the giants from La Salle could fit in. I guess they got the attention of the student market they were targeting because they dressed alike, had the same well-fed, innocent look.”
The mother was convinced his entrepreneur son was on his way to “a very good thing” after she witnessed a Sunday full of parents curious at what their dormitory kids were raving about.
She adds: “He came at the right time; his market were his peers; he and the cousins and friends had the kind of droll humor that spelled fun experience … and his customers were his best social media champions.” This young entrepreneur promised never to forget his roots and delivered his best to his consumers. Perhaps an award will seal that promise. Congratulations, Zark!
Source of Photos: Zark’s Burger FB Page
