Entrepreneur savors sweet taste of success through technology

MANILA, Philippines - What do successful entrepreneurs have in common? They all envision possibilities and focus on their dreams to make them happen. Take the case of Happy Ongpauco, who started her first restaurant, World Topps, in Timog Avenue, Quezon City in 2000. With almost no capital, she borrowed money to turn a 60-square meter space into her first business venture. In 2011, she opened a second World Topps branch and also a new concept restaurant, Bento Box.

 Ongpauco grew up in the family business, which is the Barrio Fiesta Group of restaurants that include Barrio Fiesta; Bakahan at Manukan; Singing Cooks and Waiters, Atbp.; and Isdaan. She learned the ropes of running a restaurant by working in their various outlets. She also studied to become a chef at the Culinary Institute of America.

 Eventually, however, she wanted to set up her own culinary business, a decision that her parents supported. Ongpauco lets her creativity soar whenever she creates a concept for a new business. This has helped her open three other restaurants: Hawaiian Bar-B-Que, Pamana Restaurant, and the I Luv Backyard BBQ joint. She also established the Chef Happy’s Home Made Specialties and Catering Kitchen, and My Happy Carts, which are themed food carts for kiddie parties. 

She is also in-charge of the expansion overseas of their family-owned business, the Barrio Fiesta chain of restaurants. In the past two years, she’s been busy with opening and taking charge of two Barrio Fiesta branches in Dubai, and one in Canada. She expects to open another branch in Qatar in the first quarter of 2014.  “Since all these new branches are overseas, the only way for me to communicate with them is through Globe products and services. So I am glad that Globe is a very reliable partner in my business operations for our international outlets,” she said. 

She expanded from food business into the travel and tourism engagements with The Boutique Bed & Breakfast, a seven-bedroom boutique hotel in Tagaytay. She also recently put up Slim At Home, a mobile slimming clinic and spa that offers home-based services to clients. All of these enterprises are operated under the umbrella of her Happy Concept Group of Companies.

 For her, all of these businesses became possible because she followed her passion and dreams. While having a vision and the will to make dreams come true are important, entrepreneurs such as Ongpauco still need the right tools to help them operate a business productively and profitably. 

With several establishments to manage, Ongpauco harnesses the power of ICT provided by Globe Business to stay on top of all her business operations:  â€œI got my first mobile phone more than 20 years ago,” she says, “My Dad got me one on the very first year Globe offered mobile phones. It felt really great having to be able to communicate with other people with the gadget.” 

Through Globe Business products and services, Ongpauco can instantly reach her employees through call, SMS, landline and vice versa.  “As an entrepreneur, I am able to fulfill my responsibilities with the efficient assistance of the diverse product portfolio of Globe,” she said.

 â€œEspecially in the kind of business I am in, it involves 24/7 monitoring,” she explains. ”You can receive calls in the middle of the night to solve or answer queries. I have to say that modern telecommunications technology is indispensable nowadays. To monitor your business from wherever you are at any time of the day is of utmost importance to ensure good customer service.”