MINERVA BC NEWMAN
CEBU CITY-– Leylam, the first and largest chain of Turkish-inspired food selection in the Philippines is bullish on Shawarma food business with the opening Tuesday of its Drive-Thru store for drive and take out type of patrons amid the pandemic.
Leylam’s vice president for marketing Alsmith Ricana said, the launch of the Drive-Thru store at V.Rama Avenue is the company’s contribution to the community amid the pandemic to open job opportunities to Cebuano youth and provide its patron with healthy and mouth-watering array of take-away food prepared in a hygiene-conscious stores.
“At the height of the pandemic, Leylam managed to come up with new strategies to adapt and survive. It has managed to become a delivery leader in the food industry by partnering with two of the biggest delivery platforms in the country. By the end of 2020, Leylam was able to be at the forefront of the food delivery business,” Ricana said.
The pandemic ushered Leylam to come up with new ways to serve its customers and in June 2020, it introduced its Leylam Mobile, a food truck designed to drive and park at different locations where customers’ mobility became a challenge due to strict quarantine protocols.
In the same year, Leylam came up with a new store concept, the Leylam Drive By, to allow customers to buy their Leylam favorites without going out of their vehicles 24/7.
As this concept became a hit, Leylam decided to bring it to another level! The first quarter of 2021 pushes Leylam to build the first Leylam Drive Thru, the first ever in the Shawarma industry, as people across the world have shifted to take-outs and drive thru concepts.
In its 14th year of operations, prior to the pandemic, Leylam was able to provide jobs to more than 1,000 employees across the country. It was able to develop its business model from carts to stalls into a full restaurant through its Leyla Deluxe concept.
This whole new concept pioneered by Leylam brings shawarma patrons to a new level. Leylam Deluxe stores offer a different dining experience with its ‘instagrammable” store looks, new menu line and fast casual service process. This was introduced in the same year when Leylam did a full rebranding in 2017.
Flashback
Witnessing the warmth and food-loving traits of Filipinos, Turkish Food Experts introduced a unique food selection to the Filipino market in May 2005.
Though inspired by a foreign taste, a distinct recipe adapted from Turkey, the customers began to appreciate the specialty of Leylam – the Wrap and the evolution for two other product options with Filipino adaptation came to existence, the Leylam Rice and Leylam Noodles.
“Our special sauce formulation and tender lean beef of supreme quality are some of the attributes that give Leylam products the extraordinary taste that enticed and gained the loyalty of its patrons,” Ugur Tasçi, Leylam’s president and CEO said.
Leylam started with two outlets, one, a food stall in Chong Hua Hospital and the other at Robinsons Fuente on May 27, 2005. In October of the same year, additional stores opened in Metro Ayala, Mandaue Pacific Mall and Metro Gaisano.
Since then Leylam continues to expand to the nearby towns, cities and even the neighboring islands and regions. On March 2, 2007 Leylam was introduced in Bacolod City while Iloilo started tasting Leylam’s goodness on September 8, 2008.
The demand for Leylam reached the country’s capital and made way to the first Manila store on October 2, 2009. A year after, Mindanao opened its first store on February 19, 2010 and in the same year, Leylam became a nationwide brand.
Leylam is also active as an event stall, serving delectable products during special events like concerts and other crowd gathering celebrations. It is also noticeable through food carts, stalls and stand-alone stores inside the major malls, supermarkets, select university canteens and special events.
As it values every customer and makes sure to cater their needs for healthier food options whether for comfort food or meal to fill an empty stomach, Leylam developed the idea of introducing several outlet formats that will satisfy every market segment in the area that the company operates.
In its 15 years in the Shawarma food industry, the market demand for Leylam has paved the way to more than 151 branches nationwide that made Leylam the first and largest chain of company-owned Shawarma stores in the Philippines.
