What could be more perfect than seven? There are seven notes in a musical scale, seven wonders in the world and seven days in a week to celebrate life and its entire splendor.

As Grilla Bar and Grill turns seven, the restaurant rekindles Filipinos' most favorite way of celebrating life's precious moments – savoring great food and enjoying the company of loved ones. "This is the premise that Grilla was built upon" said restaurateurs, Chito and Lizzie Guerrero. Seven years ago, while vacationing in the lovely island of Boracay, they conceptualized a relaxing place where people can dine, enjoy times with their family or friends and escape from the hullabaloo of city living. They envisioned a restaurant reminiscent of fun cookouts at the beach, gathering around a bon fire, merrily munching on barbeque and other delicious grilled treats.

So, Lizzie, who took up culinary arts at the Center of Culinary Arts Manila (CCA) and Chito, whose family is at the helm of successful business establishments like Cravings Restaurant & Bakery, C2 Bar & Restaurant and Monsoon Bar, went on to build their dream restaurant- Grilla. Given their concept, grilled grubs were the fitting stars of their menu. These are complemented with creative mix of sumptuous appetizers, soups, sandwiches, noodles, desserts, as well as cool beverages. The name Grilla, was derived from a play of words -- grills, the house specialty and an emblematic character, a jovial gorilla who loves to play, have fun and eat and eat and eat.

Grilla immediately became a hit among diners when it first opened in Antipolo, along Sumulong highway in 1998. It was one of the trailblazers among Filipino restaurants offering grilled favorites spiced with the flavors of world cuisine. Like the adage "If you build it, he will come", people did come in happy pairs and groups! Families and yuppies flocked Grilla to feast on grilled specialties such as mouth-watering chicken and pork barbecues; tender and juicy grilled spareribs; savory stuffed grilled squid, and luscious grilled oysters. Grilla's sisigs – a variety of chicken, tuna, tofu, squid and bangus selections have also earned a lot of accolades and tummy-following.

In just a couple of months since the restaurant's inception, the number of Grilla's patrons grew. A leading newspaper has even voted Grilla as one of the top 20 coolest places in the Metro. Soon Grilla likewise expanded and opened a branch in Libis Quezon City (2000), then along Rockwell Drive in Makati (2001) and at The Promenade in Greenhills (2004).

According to Chito and Lizzie, one of their recipes for attaining continued success is delivering utmost customer satisfaction. Grilla's management team takes the time to get their patrons' suggestions and uses this information to improve their products and services.

True to its commitment customer satisfaction, Grilla was one of the firsts to innovate the "Bucket of Brews", a concept ideal for beer-drinking barkadas. Instead of having a group order beer one by one, Grilla offers a bucket of ice filled with a selection of local beers, which the whole barkada can share at a discounted price. With this, each one in the group can just pop a chilled bottle whenever they want. It’s like drinking by the beach with the comfort and convenience of having a cooler by their side.

Moreover, Grilla also celebrates the value of Filipino's "salo-salo" eating custom hence, its menu features "Family Feasts", a merry mix of various palatable dishes served in a big platter that can satisfy the appetite of three to four people. Grilla even offers the "Ultimate Party BBQ Party Platter", a hefty combination of grilled favorites enough to feed a whole clan!

"Receptiveness and creativity are important to be able to cater to your market," the couple expressed. They added that "we give our best to cater to their needs and preferences. To show our gratitude for their continued support we try to give discounts and occasional freebies as often as we can."

For its seventh anniversary, Grilla has whipped up treats that are sure to delight avid patrons. On June 29, Grilla will be having the "7 Cheers, 7 Beers for 77 pesos" promo. Round up the gang and head to any Grilla branch on that day because from 9pm till 12 midnight, guests can avail of 7 beers and pay only P77. On June 30, Grilla will hold the "Lucky 7" promo where every group of diners gets a chance to throw a pair of dice to get a Lucky 7 combination - either 3+4, 1+6, or 2+5. Guests can enjoy a whopping 70% discount on their tab if they are fortunate to strike the Lucky 7 combination.

Still part of its anniversary celebration, Grilla is refurbishing to echo breezy and idyllic tropical look. Most significantly, Grilla will be unveiling a new menu, offering more sumptuous contemporary dishes. Seven of the fresh concoctions are Grilled Pizza, Grilled Porkchop with Tropical sauce, Grilled Oyster Rockefeller, Lechon Baka, Tinapang Pla-Pla, Sizzling Mussels w/ Coconut Milk and Cheese and Oriental Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette Dressing.

As it reaches another milestone, Grilla has many reasons to celebrate their seven years of solid consumer patronage and a strong presence in the food industry. This is why, the restaurant is gearing up to be bigger and better for the benefit of its patrons. Founders Chito and Lizzie, envision Grilla to still be a place for enjoying great food, cool drinks and good company with family and friends in many more years to come.

For queries and reservation, contact the Grilla branch nearest you: Libis - 632-9691;Rockwell Drive - 899-8775; The Promenade in Greenhills - 726-6200; and Antipolo - 678-4664.