Potato Corner facts for kids
Current logo since 2023
|
|
| Owner | Shakey's Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. (SPAVI) |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1992 |
| Markets | Southeast Asia, Middle East, East Asia, Oceania, North America, Europe |
Potato Corner, also called PotCor, is a popular food company from the Philippines. It's famous for its delicious flavored French fries. The very first Potato Corner stall opened on October 16, 1992. It was in SM Megamall, a big shopping center in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
Contents
The Story of Potato Corner
.jpg)
Potato Corner was started in 1992 by four friends: Jose Magsaysay Jr., Ricky Montelibano, Danny Bermejo, and George Wieneke. Ricky Montelibano had already brought flavored popcorn to the Philippines. Jose Magsaysay Jr. worked at a restaurant called Wendy's for nine years.
He needed to support his family and thought about making flavored fries, like Ricky's popcorn. They had to borrow money to start their business. They needed 150,000 Philippine pesos, which was a lot of money back then.
In October 1992, the first Potato Corner cart opened in Mandaluyong. It was a big success! Within just 30 days, they were able to pay back all their loans.
Growing the Business: Franchising
After their first success, the founders wanted to grow Potato Corner even more. They decided to use a business idea called "franchising." This means other people can open their own Potato Corner stores, using the brand name and recipes.
Franchising was a new idea in the Philippines at that time. So, their first agreements with people who wanted to open a franchise were quite simple. They even copied a document from the internet to help! But this idea helped Potato Corner grow very quickly.
Potato Corner Around the World
.jpg)
Potato Corner started to open stores in other countries. In 2006, their first international store opened in Indonesia. Then, in 2010, they began to enter the United States, with their first store there opening in 2012. In 2017, Potato Corner opened its first store in Hong Kong.
In 2021, a company called Shakey's Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. bought Potato Corner. This deal was finished in 2022. As of 2024, Potato Corner has over 1,100 stores in the Philippines. You can also find their stores in many other countries. These include Indonesia, the United States, Panama, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Kuwait, Malaysia, Canada, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
Awards and Special Recognition
Potato Corner has won many awards over the years. They were named the "Best Franchisee of the Year" for three years in a row. This award came from the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In 2003, they received the "Franchisee Excellence Hall of Fame Award." In 2017, they also won the "Global Filipino Franchise Award." These awards show how successful and well-managed Potato Corner has been.
Marketing and Advertising
Meet Poco, the Mascot
Potato Corner has a fun official mascot named Poco. Poco was first introduced in 2009 and was originally called Spudster. You can see Poco on all of Potato Corner's stores and on their fry buckets. Poco helps make the brand fun and recognizable for everyone.
