Duncan Yu has a good problem. His latest stand-alone, take-away outlet of Halo-Halo Story at White Plains West in Quezon City has been drawing lines of customers eager to beat the summer heat with a serving of his versions of the popular cold dessert. Not long after opening at 11 a.m. daily, the store usually runs out of halo-halo to sell.

“It’s a problem that I’m glad to do something about,” says Yu, who marked the opening of his fourth Halo-Halo Story branch by offering the bestselling Ubeng-Ubeng Ube flavor for only P4 to the first 100 customers.

The idea to open Halo-Halo Story came to Yu during the pandemic. “You can find halo-halo everywhere, but it’s just part of a restaurant’s menu,” he explains. “There’s no specialty store for it. Well, there may be a few, but there’s no Starbucks of halo-halo, so to speak.”

Halo-Halo Story has 10 variants with catchy names such as Halo-Halo ng Kapitbahay, Klasik Iskrambol, and Ubeng Ube, as well as the uniquely surprising concoctions like Buko Pie, Maja Blanca and Four Cheese.

Available till May is a special summer flavor, Buco Pandan. Yu is also promoting Cinnamon Saba Con Hielo, a variation of another all-time favorite cold refreshment.  

His three other outlets are at SM Pasig and SM Sta. Mesa food halls, and a drive-thru on Quezon Avenue.

Halo-Halo Story is among a new breed of halo-halo brands that has replaced shaved ice with frozen milk. “It’s the consistency and taste of the frozen milk we use which sets us apart,” Yu says. “Others have followed our style for texture, but we manage to make every serving consistent.” 

Yu’s long-term goal is to open outlets in major malls, in resorts and all over the Philippines with the Halo-Halo Story stand-alone takeaway concepts.

Do a review and tag @halohalostory on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtag #storiesoverhalohalo. The most interesting ones get a free 12 oz. halo-halo from any of the All-Time Favorites flavors.