Rico’s Lechon opened its Lapu-Lapu City branch in Mactan just recently. It’s the second Rico’s Lechon restaurant serving the Cebuano populace with its well known spicy, luscious and mouthwatering roasted pig dish and other equally delicious Filipino and Visayan menus.

The new site is right at Mactan Promenade in Lapu-Lapu City and is accessible from the Mactan International Airport, practically making it a lechon pasalubong outlet and lechon stopover resto for travelers coming in and out of the airport.

And moreover, Lapu-Lapu residents won’t have to cross over to Cebu City for the spicily special lechon in their first and main branch in Panagdait. The uniquely flavored roasted pig, said to be Cebu’s first and finest spicy lechon, sells between 2,000 to 4,000 whole pieces each month from a mere three per week when the family business started in 1997.

New Branch, New Changes

The 90-seater Lapu-Lapu branch is a family owned and managed outlet and cost the Dionson family some P5 million. The opening of this branch also started a lot of major changes in the business, according to Enrico V. Dionson, the man who started it all.

First, the brand now comes with the tagline, “Cebu’s Best” followed by the slogan in the Visayan vernacular, “De Best Gyud!” Some observers say these may reflect the target market of the restaurant business—customers from everywhere and, last but not least, the Cebuano populace.

Secondly, the new tagline and slogan indicate the direction the business is heading for.

Dionson disclosed that business expansion will be handled solely by the family from then on, effectively closing the door for any franchising or partnership in the future.

History: Spicy Lechon Pioneer

Once, there weren’t any spicy version of lechon available anywhere in Cebu, not to mention in the whole country. Then, Dionson thought of the idea: why not spicy lechon? The first few attempts failed, according to him, with lots of customers criticizing his lechon for being too salty.

After few more experimentations, Dionson finally got the right formula. Since then, Rico’s Lechon became a big hit where spicy roasted pig is concerned.

Menus

Aside from spicy lechon, the restaurant also offers lechon salpicao, special danggit, sisig, dinuguan, kinilaw and Bicol express, to name a few. Classy desserts are also available. Customers can wash them all down with signature tropical fruit drinks and other beverages.

Future Expansion

House of Lechon, or Rico’s Lechon, is set to open two more branches in the offing—one along Osmena Boulevard and another in Lahug.