MANILA, Philippines — We foodies secretly wish we can have our own restaurant someday and run it successfully, too.
But it isn’t easy to do so. While many restaurateurs, even seasoned ones, continue to face struggles as they run their own food business, the power couple in the culinary field, Chefs Rolando "Lau" Laudico and Jacqueline "Jackie" Laudico remain grateful that they are able to overcome obstacles in running their restaurant, Chef Laudico Guevarra’s.
Guevarra’s has become one of the most popular (and most reasonably priced!) buffet restaurants in the metro today. To think that they also have another smaller scale food business, OK Café, to run, too, as well as a lot of commitments working with trusted brands like Robina Farms.
Here is how they did it:
Adapting to the changing times
Finding success in the food industry is undeniably very challenging, but Chefs Lau and Jackie respond to the challenge with constant adaptation and practical reinvention. When the pandemic was on and there were restrictions on dine-in, they leveled up their takeout services, which meant taking a step back and learning more about meal deliveries. They utilized the best packaging materials to ensure that each dish gets delivered with optimum quality. They also reinvented — and continue to reinvent — their menu offerings to adjust to the changing needs of customers. They have embraced the fact that in order for them to successfully manage their food business, they have to consistently learn new things and adapt to the times.
Attitude for gratitude
According to Chef Jackie, having "Attitude for Gratitude" is the way to go. Based on their personal experiences, finding things to be grateful for regardless of the challenges that come their way has helped them be where they are now. Despite the hurdles that they had to make, they remain grateful that still being in the food industry means that their services are still essential to people. They see each and every day as a fighting chance to improve and keep their business afloat.
Choosing the right partners
Chef Lau says he’s very lucky to have Chef Jackie as a partner not only in life but also in their business.
“You’ll need that partner who complements your weaknesses,” he shared.
And while the two of them are already a force to be reckoned with in the food industry, they still recognize the need to have a reliable partner that provides stable, reliable, and quality service at all times, and that is their partnership with Robina Farms for four years now. Meat and poultry provider Robina Farms has been a constant in the daily operations of the Laudicos’ businesses. With Robina Farms’ superior meat and egg products, Chefs Lau and Jackie are confident that they’ve got a partner who can keep up with their needs and meet their quality expectations.
The challenges they face along the way are blessings in disguise because of all the learnings that they have gained from such experiences. So, to food entrepreneurs and aspiring ones, they advise, “keep cooking, keep baking, and keep learning.”