Filipino Fast Food Restaurant Opens in Downtown Halifax
HALIFAX—Fans of Bedford’s La Rozzi Bistro can now enjoy Filipino-style fast food in the heart of downtown Halifax.
Jerrick Atienza is the owner and operator of La Rozzi Bistro. Over the weekend, he and his wife opened the doors to their second restaurant. The new spot is named McJolly and features the same food as La Rozzi, with a twist.
Jerrick, who operated a catering business in the Philippines, came to Canada in 2012 and started working in fast food restaurants. It was a big change from competing in culinary competitions at five-star hotels back home.
“I took my experience far from professional catering to the fast-food industry,” said Atienza.
McJolly takes the type of food being served at fast food restaurants, adds some traditional Filipino touches, and uses the care and product quality of a fine dining experience.
“We never use frozen products; even our chicken strips are homemade. We never freeze any kind of meat and everything is local,” said Atienza.
Meeting the customers where they are
After opening La Rozzi in 2019 and having to shut down for a few months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Atienza wasn’t sure the restaurant would survive. They knew that when they reopened it would be make or break.
“So, for three months, it’s trial and error we’re just trying to make the perfect chicken for everyone,” said Atienza.
Their efforts paid off. On their first day after reopening they sold almost 3,000 pieces of chicken. The majority of their customers were other Filipinos who were eager to taste food that reminded them of home.
Soon, Atienza and his wife realized they might need a second location to accommodate their customers.
“My wife said ‘I think we need to put another spot in Halifax because some of our customers don’t have a car.’ So, if they’re from Halifax, they’re taking a bus from Halifax to Hammonds Plains and it takes an hour,” said Atienza.
Early success
It’s never easy to open a restaurant and Atienza was unsure of how successful McJolly would be. But after serving more than 500 customers on their grand opening Saturday, he knew that he and his wife had made the right decision.
“I ran out of everything. It should’ve been all my preps for the whole week, but I just sold it in one day,” said Atienza.
Despite all the difficulties that come with running a restaurant, the success of La Rozzi and the early success of McJolly leave Atienza feeling optimistic.
“It’s a challenge for me to have a second restaurant, but after the last few days maybe I’ll open another one,” said Atienza.
Joe Thomson is a Huddle student intern, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected]