Mario’s: Not resting on its laurels

BAGUIO — Pushing on its 50th year in business and having established itself as an institution with a captive clientele, it is easy for the restaurant Mario’s to just go through the motions and rest on its laurels. But the people running the well-known dining place in Baguio City are choosing not to, preferring instead to continue to evolve throughout the years and build on its legacy.

Founded by the husband-and-wife tandem of Mario and Consuelo Benitez, the first Mario’s opened shop in 1971 along Session Road.

Despite not having extensive experience in operating a restaurant, the Benitezes dove into it, armed with their desire to succeed and the firm belief that it was something they needed to do.

“Mario’s started with a very simple concept. It had callos (beef tripe and ox feet stew) and lengua (ox tongue) on its menu but it also had batchoy (noodle soup made with pork organs and pork cracklings), kare-kare (a stew of oxtail, pigs feet and more in a thick savory peanut sauce), interspersed with fettuccine and spaghetti in tomato sauce and garlic bread. It also had steak sold for P28 at a spot on Session Road with a capacity for 40 people,” said the owners, led by their matriarch Consuelo, in an interview with BusinessWorld as they spoke of the beginnings of the restaurant which has since become synonymous with the City of Pines.

No sooner than its founding that people started taking notice, boosted by the appeal of Baguio at that time as a destination of choice for many people to escape the daily grind in the metro, and the difficulty of vacationing out of the country because of the international travel ban imposed during martial law.

Thanks to the prodding of a businessman friend, the Benitezes later decided to open the first Mario’s in Manila which was located at Makati Avenue.

In the 1980s, it opened along Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

Currently, the branch in Baguio — now located at the upper portion of Session Road after a fire in 1999 destroyed the restaurant in its original location — and the one in Tomas Morato are the only ones that remain standing. There they serve their signature dishes like paella, steaks, callos, lengua, Caesar salad, and salpicado — a dish of beef tenderloin pieces sauteed with lots of garlic which the owners proudly said they created and has since been copied in other restaurants as salpicao.

They also highlighted that whether it is Baguio or Quezon City, Mario’s has continuously attracted celebrities, politicians, and genuine food lovers out to have a sumptuous meal in a cozy environment.

FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
While Mario’s has been around for 46 years, the owners said the simple formula of hard work, consistency, determination, and attention to details continues to propel the group, with Mrs. Benitez, now 84 years old, still helping oversee the operations of the restaurants.

“Mario’s remains committed to work and servicing the people, giving them the ‘Mario’s Way,’ by experiencing the service, the ambiance, and, of course, the food,” they said, touching on the term coined by their founder on the kind of offering they provide.

The owners also said they are totally committed to improving Mario’s, allowing it to stay relevant and fresh amid the opening of newer and trendier restaurants.

“It is a continuous process of improvement for us all this time, which is ingrained in the DNA of Mario’s as a group,” the owners said.

Adding, “But while we are open to improving ourselves, we are still mindful of Mario’s identity not being lost along the way and that the quality of our service, which is primary to us, is not sacrificed.”

In Baguio, Mario’s has recognized changing trends in the dining scene and has made an effort to keep in step.

With merienda buffets trending in the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Mario’s has decided to tap into it.

It recently introduced its “Afternoon Delights” for people who want to have a sumptuous afternoon snack in the cozy confines of the restaurant.

The façade of Mario’s restaurant at Upper Session Road in Baguio City. — ALVIN S. GO

On Mondays to Fridays, from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., the establishment is offering a wide selection of merienda fare like spaghetti, pansit guisado (fried noodles), tokwa’t baboy (stir fried pork and tofu), ensaymada (a soft pastry), cheese roll, maja blanca (coconut pudding), and mocha cake, among others.

The response to it has been warm, the owners said, with foot traffic busy to complement those that go for lunch and dinner.

“Our merienda buffet is picking up. The regulars are liking it, saying they have more reason to go to the restaurant,” they said, though they mentioned as well that as the holiday rush approaches they may replace the merienda buffet with other promos.

The merienda buffet is apart from the Sunday Lunch Buffet which has now become a staple in Mario’s and a “must-do” for people whether in Baguio or in Manila.

Tweaks are also being made in its food offerings here and there, with the “Chef’s Creation” section of its menu being changed quarterly so that diners have more to look forward to.

Mario’s restaurants offer catering services as well both for small intimate affairs to big events.

ENGAGEMENT
Mario’s Baguio has also been active in engaging its clientele with ads on the city’s radio stations, including K-Lite 967.

It also has steady presence on social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram so as to update regulars and those who want to try their specialties and new offerings.

With the Baguio branch also becoming a go-to place for company and big-group gatherings, including some from prestigious international brands, apart from the regular diners, the owners said it is set to be “reconfigured.”

They said they are planning to make the area where the bar now stands into another, bigger, function room, in addition to the existing one which can handle 20 to 25 persons.

They also plan to improve their facilities and bring in new electronic equipment for presentations to encourage more companies and groups to hold their functions in the restaurant.

Forty-six years since opening shop, the owners of Mario’s consider it as having been an “excellent journey” and how far they have come is more than what they expected.

“For us, we never thought that the business will go this big and last this long. We consider it as an excellent journey filled with a lot of lessons and wonderful memories and history,” they said.

They were quick to say though that they will continue to forge ahead bettering themselves, planning more exciting offerings as they approach their golden anniversary.

“It’s a continuous process for us. We always push to be better with the standards we have set for ourselves. We will keep on going in that direction,” the owners said. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Mario’s is located at 16 Upper Session Road Extension in Baguio City with contact numbers (074) 442-4241 and 0905-297-3384 and e-mail at marios.baguio@gmail.com, and at 191 Tomas Morato, Quezon City with contact numbers of 415-3887, 372-0360 and 0917-323-2404.