Biggs Diner celebrates its 40th anniversary this year!
Founded in 1983, the iconic restaurant chain based in Naga City is truly a millennial – much like the many millennials it now serves. They were mere infants when their Gen X parents started eating out at Biggs. Now, they crowd the bright dining areas with their Gen Z children in tow. It has become a generational favorite place in Bicol to meet up, hang out, and satisfy one’s cravings
Biggs Diner began when three enterprising ladies from Naga City, Nie-Nie Buenaflor, Maricar Manjon, and Nena Centenera, ventured into the food business. It started out as a small take-out counter offering hamburgers, fries, and hotdogs, competitively priced to serve the growing Naga market. The startup eatery went through name changes, from Mang Donald’s to Nalds, due to trademark issues in the early years, then to Carl’s Diner in 1990 (after the three sons all named Carl), before finally settling on the Biggs Diner brand in 1995. Having adopted the diner business concept, it began to feature casual dining, American diner-style complete with neon lights and nostalgia-evoking motifs. True to its name, Biggs offers big servings that are affordably priced to rival the fast-food competitors. It’s in this fast-casual category that Biggs Diner has grown exponentially as a regional chain. If you want to know what the brand name stands for, BIGGS means Beautiful, Intelligent, Gorgeous, and God-fearin
Biggs Diner paved its way to expansion with a strategic shift to shopping mall locations and stand-alone branches, starting in SM City Naga, the first SM Supermall in Bicol which opened in 2009. Biggs branches are now also conveniently situated in Ayala Malls Legazpi, SM Legazpi, SM City Daet, SM Lipa in Batangas, and SM City Sorsogon which opened in October 2022. There are also high-traffic locations in SM Markets – Savemore supermarkets in Pili, Legazpi, Bacacay, and Sorsogon and SM Hypermarket in Polangui. Its new location in Bicol International Airport, Daraga, opened in February 2023.
Biggs inaugurated its first stand-alone and 21st branch in August 2022 in San Agustin, Pili. A brand new two-story branch in Camalig, with a view of Mayon Volcano, just opened on March 28, 2023 along the national highway and the new Camalig by-pass road. Just recently, the company broke ground for a new branch in Sipocot. The innovative architecture and interior design of its stand-alone restaurants reflect what Biggs’ business is now – bigger, bolder, and brighter. The exterior designs are modern and eye-catching. Inside, its high ceilings and exposed steel trusses look industrial and complement its signature retro vibe on the wall décor and nostalgic art, some evoking its past Mang Donald days. The new restaurants are light, bright and airy, designed to appeal to younger customers and create a fun, lively atmosphere.
Now, in addition to comfort food classics like fried chicken, burgers, ribs, and pork cordon bleu, Biggs has also introduced Healthy Meals to its menu for customers who are careful with their health. This is in line with the company’s commitment to providing high-quality, nutritious meals that are both tasty and affordable. The specialty rice, vegetables, and fruits for its salads and regional dishes, such as Red Rice Goto and Bicol Especial, are supplied by the family owned The Little Pecuaria Farm located in Bula, Camarines Sur – benefiting the families employed by the farm.
The man behind the elevation of the dining experience at Biggs is Carlo Buenaflor, a son of co-founder Nie-Nie Buenaflor. He started working at Biggs when he was ten years old. So, he literally grew up with the business – he started as a server and at times cleaned and mopped floors at their restaurants. Quite naturally, he chose hotel management course in college and graduated from Hotel Institute Montreux, a top-ranked hotel management school in Switzerland. Later, he completed a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management at the University of South Carolina, one of the top 10 schools in the US for hospitality and tourism management. To gain practical experience, he worked in hotels and restaurants overseas. Upon his return to Naga City, Carlo made it his mission to help in the family business and to grow Biggs into a national brand. This involved hiring the best talents and raising the company standards to international levels in store design, service, and product quality, and at the same time adopting best-world practices in marketing campaigns.
One of the keys to Biggs Diner’s success is its effective use of digital marketing. The company has established a strong online presence through social media and with the use of popular apps that allow customers to browse their menus and order online for take-out or home delivery. Biggs Diner conducts marketing and promotions on its Facebook page and other social media platforms to keep its customers informed about new menu items, promotions, and events. Recently, it has added ready-to-cook food to its online menu – largely in response to post-pandemic lifestyle changes and work-from-home arrangements.
At Biggs Diner, although seemingly contradictory, they make food freshness and fast service work. Unlike other fast-food restaurants where food is pre-cooked and sits under heaters waiting to be purchased, at Biggs food is cooked only after a customer has ordered it. This process is challenging as the items on the menu require different cooking methods. Biggs is thus really more of a casual dining restaurant operating at the speed of a fast-food joint.
As it turns 40 this year, Biggs Diner has already launched #MakeItBIGGS40 promotions and events in celebration. On its Facebook page, there are P40 meal deals (with restrictions). One can grab Biggs@40 stickers from participating gas stations. So, when you are visiting Bicol, there is bound to be a local Biggs Diner in the neighborhood. Enjoy Bicol and make Biggs a part of your food crawl!
