Asia CEO Awards Entrepreneur of the Year Mike Canlas and his wife Lucci tell the story of how they went from zero to almost 100 bangus stores in two years

Big. Crispy. Boneless. Bangus. In different flavors. Who would have thought the lowly milkfish would be the start of a fast-growing and award-winning food empire? And yet, Bang Bang Bangus is fast approaching 100 stores in just over two years. Even more astounding, this all happened during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns.

The chain of kiosks is the brainchild of Mike and Lucci Canlas, who thought of the concept while eating at a restaurant to celebrate their child’s birthday. They happened to order a big boneless bangus. This struck a chord in Mike, who thought of starting a take-out kiosk offering only bangus.

Most street-food take-out stalls in the Philippines sell lechon manok, fried liempo, and pork barbecue. No one specialized in fried bangus. Mike and Lucci saw an opportunity.

They also knew they had to put a twist on the concept. After all, milkfish is not everyone’s go-to take-out food. First, they decided to offer deep-fried crispy bangus, not grilled. Second, it has to be huge for sharing. Third–and this is genius–they came up with different flavors, including salted egg, inasal, spicy pares, and–believe it or not–cheese.

But before they could open their first kiosk, originally scheduled on March 27, 2020, the entire country went on lockdown on March 15. The couple had already started construction in a space they found in Project 7, Quezon City when the Philippines–and the entire world–stood still.

Get Your Copy Now!

Editorial: 

7 Ways to Beat Inflation

Editor-In-Chief Heinz Bulos

Table of Contents

COVER STORIES

Bang Bang Bangus Goes Boom!

BY EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

Your Guide to Getting an Auto Loan

BY EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

Best Money-Saving Travel Tips

BY RIENZIE BIOLENA, RFP®

PLAN

How To: Automate Your Savings

BY JENDEE DE GUZMAN, RFP®

Best Options for Remittances

BY EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

Versus: FoodPanda Vs. GrabFood

BY KARLO BIGLANG-AWA, RFP®

Primer: Online Loans

BY EDMUND LAO, RFP®

My Money Story: Music, Business, and Property

BY MIGUEL MENDOZA

AS TOLD TO EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

My Money Story: Pharma, Death, and Christmas Hams

BY JAN NICOLA MARFIL-HONORAS

AS TOLD TO EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

My Money Story: Why Insurance Matters

BY PAM LABRIAGA AS TOLD TO EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

My Money Story: Balancing Law and Real Estate

BY ATTY. CRIS GARCIMO AS TOLD TO EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

INVEST

Stock Market 101: How to Invest in U.S. Stocks

BY EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

Real Estate 101: How to Get Your Unit Rented Out Fast

BY EXCEL V. DYQUIANGCO

SPEND

Best Online Shops for Everything

BY JANICE SABITSANA