Sucess from a secret halo-halo recipe
Posted on November 14th, 2009
His halo-halo business literally brings him called “cold cash.”
Xavier Mercado, a 28-year old entrepreneur from Iloilo, built his restaurant on a secret Ilokano recipe for halo-halo. “I love halo-halo, I consider it as one of the best desserts ever,” Mercado said.
His love story with halo-halo, a favorite summer concoction of Filipinos, started when he was just 10 years old. At the tender young age, he is already selling the dessert and snack treat in front of their house in San Fernando City.
In 2004, he opened his restaurant, “Halo-Halo de Iloko,” embarking into the entrepreneurial world with nothing but his passion for his favorite childhood treat, together with the support of his friends.
Mercado said, “We started from scratch. I borrowed the freezer and refrigerator from my parents. My partner, whose family is in the food catering business, borrowed her mom’s kitchen utensils. Sometimes, our friends would come by to help us serve our customers.”
Soon, through patience and consistent quality of product and service, their halo-halo eventually attracted people, gathering customers even during the rainy season. And all through this continuing success, Mercado’s secret remains to be a secret.
“I cook the ingredients at home. Then these are delivered to the store. I’m the only one who knows the recipe. Not even the restaurant’s personnel know what ingredients go in the halo-halo,” he said. Although he said that the main ingredients were sourced from other La Union towns.
But aside from the halo-halo, Mercado’s restaurant also offers other delectable snacks. He made sure that their menu would carry affordable Ilocano dishes, like emparedados, a native hamburger made from homemade longganisa and garlic bread; pinakbet with bagnet; pinapaitan and okoy.
Mercado said that the restaurant’s name was derived from the Museo de Iloko in Agoo town. He claimed it to be unique and inviting when you hear the word ‘de Iloko’ especially to those who come from other places.
“Halo-Halo de Iloko is my inspiration. It’s a product of my passion for cooking, of being creative to come up with authentic food,” Mercado said.
