When no one would grant him a frozen yogurt franchise in 1988, this former banker didn’t give up—he built his own brand instead.
After suffering a heart attack at 46, Nestor Bonoan was advised to avoid rich desserts like ice cream. While in Honolulu, his children introduced him to frozen yogurt, a healthier alternative. Loving the taste, he saw an opportunity to bring it to the Philippines. But when he reached out to seven U.S. frozen yogurt companies for a franchise, every single one rejected him.
Many saw the Philippines as too unstable at the time. “They turned down my application,” Bonoan recalls. But instead of walking away, he pivoted. He enrolled his wife and daughter at Penn State University’s dairy program to learn how to make frozen yogurt from scratch.
Armed with this knowledge, Bonoan launched Better Than Ice Cream (BTIC)—which became the first brand in the Philippines to offer frozen yogurt. The brand thrived, first through mall outlets and later via supermarkets and hospitals, where doctors recommended it to health-conscious consumers.
“We decided to focus on no-sugar-added flavors, which made us stand out,” Bonoan says.
Today, his brand is a dominant player in the local yogurt market. His journey proves that rejection isn’t a dead end—it’s often the first step toward something even bigger.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
