FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Dom Hernandez embarks on the challenging road to global expansion with time-tested recipes for success
Dom Hernandez calls himself the “Potato Merchant” (on Instagram, at least). The Chief Operating Officer of Potato Corner actively shares the brand’s milestones on his feed, uploading everything from new store openings worldwide, moments with colleagues and business partners, to Potato Corner apparel (some of which are modeled by the Potato Merchant himself).
However, behind this easy-going persona and playful moniker, there is a businessman who is passionate about the food industry. On top of Potato Corner, Dom is also a stakeholder at various businesses, owning select franchises of local food brands. He also has a few branches of establishments offering foreign flavors, such as Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Tokyo Milk Cheese, and Chino MNL, a Mexican restaurant that uses Japanese ingredients and techniques.
Dom’s gastronomic ventures started with a simple street-side barbeque stall in his village. “I started my first food business when I was in high school, only because at that time, I thought [it] was the simplest business model I could get into,” he fondly recalls. “Of course, [I had the] full support of my parents—my Dad even made me my first stainless grill for my stall. That lasted two months.”
Years after, Dom dabbled in other food businesses, taking in whatever he thought of as viable from food expos he attended abroad. After short stints in real estate and banking, he looked into franchising Mang Inasal, opening his first store in 2009. Again, his family provided the utmost support for his new venture. “Those first few years taught me a lot. I had to dip my toes into everything—operations, finance, marketing, you name it—but that’s where I also learned to appreciate the franchise system and all the support they gave me.” At this point, Dom started to take the food business more seriously. At the back of his mind, he knew that opening a restaurant demanded hefty capital. There’s also the undying support of his family that he wanted to repay. These motivated him further to make his ventures work.
The Hernandez clan has been running Victory Liner for seventy-five years. Various members of the family work hard to maintain the bus company’s leadership in the transport industry. While Dom has embarked on a different road, his relatives still pass on their business knowledge to him—something that he cherishes as a blessing. “I’ll always feel grateful and fortunate to have the family [that] I have,” he says. “I’m part of the fourth
generation [already], and my grandparents, uncles, and aunts, even though they’re quite busy themselves, still take the time to mentor us and guide us in our decisions.”
When asked about the best nuggets of wisdom from his family, Dom zeroes in on three tenets: “First, work toward the best, but prepare for the worst. Business is cyclical and a good day today could save you from a rainy day in the future. Second, invest in your people. If your team can weather the things you can’t control, your business will be in good hands. People drive a business, not the other way around. And lastly, be ready for anything.”
Dom keeps these principles to heart as he takes Potato Corner to greater heights. “With Potato Corner, I learned that it’s important to stay focused. A business’ success rate becomes higher if you double down on it.” True enough, the well-loved brand has over a thousand stores worldwide, and more are on the way.
Echoing his family’s advice, Dom also treats his colleagues with respect and care. “We have 400 franchisees all over the globe, and we cater to each one as a business partner. At Potato Corner, we aim to make it a win-win situation for everyone. We [sell] them an opportunity, and [we then help them] win that opportunity.”
In the face of stiffer competition within the food industry, how does Potato Corner plan to maintain relevance and market leadership? For Dom, never saying no to interested territories abroad is integral to their continued success. “While we are a market leader in the Philippines, we don’t have any sort of footing in a new country or region. The process there helps us learn so much, because everything is different. The pace, taste, and habits—they’re all different. There’s a lot to learn and more flavors to discover. All the advances and efficiencies we learn in different territories, we take home and apply here.” Additionally, He also credits loyal customers and fans for keeping the brand alive and kicking. “We’re lucky enough that [they] keep us relevant through social media. [That] brand love [is] something very important to us.”
In the future, Dom aims to help other Filipino food brands take on the global stage. “With Potato Corner, We’re far from being anything close to experts at global expansion. Some territories are winning, some are losing. But at the end of the day, if we can contribute to helping Filipino restaurants or cuisine break the international market, [it] would be nice for us. I'd like to be part of that story.