(Malaya, Living Section) September 11, 2001

Well, for Francis Juan, once was all it took to get his spirits soaring. With nothing on hand but an idea that's spanking new, he and his pals created one of the hottest bars and grills this side of Metro Manila: Pier One.

"It all started with friends," Francis relates with undisguised enthusiasm. "A friend of mine and I-we love to go out and drink. We're practically what you would call as night owls. But going out and having a good time eventually became an expensive routine. So, we tried a venue that's more easy-on-the-pocket- home. There, we sat on empty beer cases, and passed the night with good company and of course, chilled beer.

During that "economic crunch," the enterprising young man toyed with the idea of putting up a bar of his own, a waterhole where he and his friends could laze around after a hard day's work without spending a king's ransom on drinks. What he foresaw was a simple yet inviting place, with very low overhead cost. And always, in high spirits.

On opening night with five partners and four working directors to beef up the service (all of whom are brothers and friends of Francis), including a host of table attendants who came from neighboring clubs, Pier One braced for the expected first 150 guests who were invited through text messaging. However, the unexpected took place. More than 650 guests arrived to fill up the 400-seater bar and grill. It was an astounding prelude to the eventual success of Pier One.

"All of my friends were put to the task of running Pier One," Francis explains. "One is good at cooking, another looks after the customers. I take care of the bar, the drinks and the finances. We're what you'd call 'working managers.' We got a taste of what it feels like to work for a bar during the first night. It was backbreaking but fun!" Word gets around in a place like Libis quite easily. On the second night, another 600 guests came to see for themselves this unusual bar and grill. This time, night owls and drinking buddies from Makati to as far away as Paranaque, Las Pinas, and Alabang turned up for Pier One's brand of entertainment.

"The place is interesting, the food affordable, drinks are many, and the service is extremely personal," Francis relates. "We try to maintain a personal relationship with clients. We make sure that everything from ashtrays to ice cubes is served in a way that entices customers to return. I've been going to bars and restaurants for the last 16 years, and the one thing that irks me most is bad service. So the working managers see to it personally that every customer is served, and served well."

From a simple idea to a thriving business and leisure establishment, Pier One is now on the verge of spreading out after only 11 months of operations. The proprietors recently signed a lease agreement with the management of Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC) to put up another branch of Pier One at The Fort Square, an expansion area of the popular The Fort.

For Francis and his friends, this is an opportunity knocking for the second time. "Notwithstanding the work that lies ahead, I feel Pier One has great potential at The Fort Square. I believe the place has very promising potentials for business like no one has ever imagined," he concludes.