Founded by the Guerrero family, Cravings is managed by Chef Susana Pascual-Guerrero and her daughter, Marinela Guerrero-Trinidad. Susana is the first Filipino to be granted the title of Certified Culinary Professional by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. A brother is also a chef, and another an architect who does gourmet cooking too.
CCA Manila is affiliated with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Canada. Under Chef Guerreros guidance, the school, which offers students a holistic culinary education, has since produced chefs, business managers and entrepreneurs.
The Guerreros love for cooking and for the business itself has spurred the company to other endeavors. Cravings affiliates now include a number of establishments: C2 Restaurant at the fifth level of ACEED Conference Center in Makati is now the official culinary restaurant of CCA Manila, showcasing the vast talents of its culinary students. The elegant Monsoon restaurant in Linden Suites, Ortigas, taps the surrounding business and residential community.
Two Antipolo-based establishments, theme restaurant Grilla Bar and Seven Suites Hotel-Observatory, take advantage of their location and offer patrons both good food and service and a great view.
Since November 1996, Cravings has been implementing the 5S Japanese Method of Good Housekeeping as part of its enterprise-wide quality and productivity program. With strong management commitment, 5S, a system for sorting, straightening, scrubbing, standardizing and sustaining principles that go beyond mere workplace orderliness, has been a way of life for the business group.
Cravings is also a leading supporter of the Greening of Katipunan Project and is a member of the Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation.
To rid the company of useless items, Cravings stages a grand bodega sale where unused items, appliances and equipment from outlets and offices are sold for a minimum price to employees. Ms. Trinidad says the proceeds go to the Junk Fund, "where we get funding for our 5S and productivity-related activities and programs such as composting and waste segregation." The waste segregation program and other sustained quality practices are hoped to lead the company to eventually gain ISO 14001 certification.
According to Jaqueline Haessig Alleje, market facilitator, eventually customers will develop the habit of bringing their own bayong or containers so that the use of plastic bags will be minimized, as plastic is made of petroleum-based raw materials.
Weary of synthetically-aided food, vegetables, herbs? This weekend market is the answer to your dream of eating only organically grown products.