Financial Adviser: 5 Business Lessons Everyone Can Learn from Chef Robby Goco, founder and CEO of Cyma Restaurants

Raoul Roberto ‘Robby’ Goco has helped shape the Philippine restaurant scene by redefining how diners experience Mediterranean cuisine in the country. A chef by training and an entrepreneur by instinct, he has created restaurant concepts that blend authentic flavors with solid operational foundations.

Before starting Cyma, Goco developed his expertise through formal training abroad and hands-on experience. He studied culinary arts in San Francisco, USA, where he learned both classic techniques and the importance of using quality ingredients.

After gaining experience in several kitchens across the U.S., he returned to the Philippines and launched Tequila Joe, a casual dining concept that quickly grew into a successful restaurant chain. This early venture gave him valuable insights into local tastes, restaurant operations, and the discipline needed to scale a food business.

It was during this time that Goco saw a gap in the local dining scene. While many international cuisines were gaining popularity, Greek food remained largely underrepresented. Inspired by this idea, he traveled to Greece to learn more about the cuisine. When he returned to the Philippines, he began building what would eventually become Cyma.

In 2000, Goco opened the first Cyma in Boracay. The restaurant soon drew a loyal following and established itself as a favorite spot for both casual dining and special occasions. As the brand grew, Goco expanded to key locations in Metro Manila such as Greenbelt, Trinoma, and others.  

Over the years, Cyma’s success opened the door for Goco to grow beyond his flagship brand. He introduced complementary concepts built on the same foundation of freshness, flavor integrity, and cultural connection.

Among these were brands like Souv! and Elaia, each offering a distinct perspective while staying true to Mediterranean roots. This deliberate expansion established the Cyma Group as one of the largest and most authentic Greek restaurant chains in the country.

How did Goco manage to launch Cyma and differentiate itself from other Mediterranean or international concepts in the market? What strategies did he use to ensure consistency across multiple branches?

Here are the five business lessons every entrepreneur can learn from Chef Robby Goco, founder and CEO of Cyma Restaurants:

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1| Know how to own a niche in a competitive market 

Finding your market niche in a competitive industry allows you to focus your resources on serving a specific audience with unmet needs. In a market where many players offer similar products or services, trying to compete on everything often leads to dilution of your brand.

A well-defined niche helps you stand out by offering something that resonates deeply with a target market. This not only builds stronger brand recognition but also promotes loyalty.

Moreover, owning a niche means you’re less vulnerable to competition. Instead of fighting over the same pool of customers, you create your own space where your brand becomes the go-to authority. In the long run, this leads to better margins, more word-of-mouth referrals, and a sustainable competitive edge.

Goco’s first venture, Tequila Joe’s, brought both growth and challenges. He learned that success in the restaurant business went beyond good food. It required a brand with a clear identity and purpose. Encouraged by his uncle’s advice to “own a cuisine,” Goco began to search for a market gap.

While many global cuisines were already present in the Philippines, Greek cuisine was almost non-existent. He identified this underserved market segment and acted on it. By choosing a cuisine that no one had yet introduced seriously to the Philippine dining scene, Goco didn’t just follow trends—he set one.

He differentiated not only through the menu but by mastering the story, sourcing ingredients, and crafting an experience that competitors couldn’t easily replicate. This aligns with the value of differentiation through excellence.

Ultimately, Goco created a niche by being intentional: identifying a gap, becoming an expert, and committing to a standard few could match. Goco’s grit and strategic focus allowed him to build a brand like Cyma from the ground up and turn it into one of the most recognized Mediterranean restaurant groups in the country.

“I grew up in a household where both my parents were professionals,” Goco says. “Ako, I was left at home—when I was growing up, we had a library at home. In the library, there were law books on the top shelf—those were my father’s. Yung sa gitna, sociology books—those were my mom’s naman. It was a big library. It’s what we called our quiet place at home. And then sa baba, it was by Time Life, Cuisines of the World. So when I was growing up, I kept reading all these cookbooks of the world. My mom didn’t really cook, but then again, she liked looking at recipes kasi she liked travelling, she liked going around.

“So when I was a kid, because my parents were very busy, I was left in the care of a very efficient nanny at home, and I was always in the kitchen. I literally absorbed, inhaled, and was exposed to the kitchen kasi my parents also hosted a lot of parties at home, and I was there.

“Since I was around 10 years old, we would open something from the book, and me and my sister would create it, so we kept experimenting. During that time, wala naman masyadong restaurants in the Philippines, right? Even imported ingredients were limited. So you really had to make do with what you had. Growing up, whatever we read from the books and saw in our pantry, we’d try to make it, so we’d experiment.

“From a very young age, my mom was always supportive. She would say, ‘Oh, you know what? This is really good. Whatever you made—that peach cobbler—really good. Can you make a lot? I’ll give it to my friends.’ So automatic, I had somebody buying my product. I was very young. I would create dishes from our kitchen.

“Then, every Christmas season, that’s when I would earn a lot of money because of whatever I was making. For me, after grade school at Ateneo, I used to play basketball, then afterward, I would bake brownies at home, make cookies, make carrot cake.

“And then when it was time to choose a career path, my father asked me, ‘What do you plan to do?’ I said, ‘I’m comfortable being in the hospitality industry—restaurants, being a chef, being in hotels.’ And he said, ‘That’s not our line, di ba? You’re supposed to be a lawyer.’ I said, ‘No, this is what I want to do.’ My mom was very supportive.

“So sabi niya, ‘Okay, research where you want to go.’ We researched Switzerland, the United States, everything. I did the research, and finally I said, ‘I want to go to the California Culinary Academy.’ During that time, this was back in ’92, wala pa masyadong chefs. So I went and pursued my dream. I went to the California Culinary Academy. Then I stayed in the US for quite some time.

“Eventually, I became very comfortable in the US. Then I called home, and my mom said, ‘Why don’t you come back to the Philippines? If you stay in the US, you’ll be living from salary to salary. But here in the Philippines, you can create jobs. Your reason for being here is different. With whatever you’re doing, your talent, you can create something, create livelihood, create jobs. A lot of people are going to rely on you. At least if you create something, you’re helping others.’

“So I went back. I returned in 1995. I started the chain Tequila Joe’s. I created that with some partners. It became big, you know. I had around eight restaurants. In fact, we were even supposed to open our first international branch in Guam. But then, it had an identity crisis because when we were expanding, we couldn’t just cater to yuppies or the drinking crowd. We needed to cater to families. And you can’t really promote a tequila bar to families. So they changed it to TJ’s. So nagkaroon ng identity crisis—from being a hot bar, a hotspot at night, it shifted to being a family restaurant.

“I realized that with restaurants, you really have to know your core values—what you want to do, what your purpose is. You have to be firm. When the Asian Financial Crisis happened, instead of tweaking the model, I said, hiwalay na ko and I sold my shares. I had to shift to another cuisine.

“During that time, my uncle, si Vic Vic Villavicencio, told me, ‘You know, in order for you to succeed in the Philippines, you have to own a cuisine.’ He owned Saisaki. He said, ‘You have to introduce a cuisine to the Filipinos na ikaw yung nauna.’ There were already a lot of Spanish restaurants here. French was already here, even Portuguese. But what wasn’t represented was Greece. In fact, during that time, wala pa ngang Greek, wala pang Embassy dito eh. Wala ngang consulate dito.

“When I looked at the dining market in the Philippines, I asked, ‘What can you offer that’s different?’ The beauty here is we’re in an island—so kung ano yung dito, ano yung ipre-present mo na kakaiba, they’ll appreciate you. You have to be different. Because here, when one opens, kopyahan na lahat eh diba? So for me, I had to be different. And I had to be so good at it na mahihirapan silang komopya. So Greek food—that’s what I did. So, I packed my bags, went to Greece and studied the cuisine.”

2| Know how to build a solid foundation before going to market  

Solid preparation allows entrepreneurs to validate demand, study competitors, and understand the target market deeply. It also helps in securing the right location, team, systems, and suppliers, especially in industries like food and retail where execution matters as much as concept.

Moreover, early groundwork allows for testing assumptions and aligning the product with customer expectations. It minimizes surprises and prevents costly missteps that often result from rushing to market without a clear plan.

Long before Cyma became a recognized name, Goco invested time immersing himself in Greek cuisine—not just through formal culinary education, but by studying the culture directly. He traveled to Greece and Spain and observed how locals approached food, hospitality, and daily life. This cultural understanding helped him internalize not only the flavors but the philosophy behind Mediterranean cooking, particularly the Greek principle of “perfect simplicity,” where success depends on the quality of each ingredient.

Rather than rushing to introduce Cyma to the Manila dining scene, Goco chose to quietly test his concept in Boracay. At the time, Greek cuisine was unfamiliar to many locals, and he wasn’t certain it would be well received in the city. Boracay, with its international crowd and laid-back atmosphere, offered a lower-risk environment to gauge interest and refine the offering.

He opened a modest 40-seater restaurant and focused intensely on execution. The result was a strong early signal—long waiting lists and high table turnovers per day. This soft launch validated his idea and gave him confidence that the concept could succeed in a larger market.

By the time he brought Cyma to Manila in 2003, Goco had not only proven the concept but built the supply chains and quality controls needed to support expansion.

“I didn’t formally enroll,” he says. “I just went there and went from restaurant to restaurant. I pretended to be a reporter connecting the cuisines of archipelagic countries. I tried to understand the way Greeks think like how they approach food and life. If you look at Greece—it’s the most Filipino country in Europe. It’s very, very similar to the Philippines.

“We’re both archipelagic countries. Ang Greece is an archipelago, Philippines is an archipelago. Easy-go-lucky ang Greece. Ganon din tayo, and the lifestyle like how they do things. Pinag-aralan ko kung paano, because it’s not just the cuisine that you study—you study the people like even how they eat, how they function, everything.

“I shuttled from Greece to Spain at that time, but of course, when you're young, you want to do everything. When I came back to the Philippines, I had to slowly build my restaurant. I had to get all the right suppliers, talk to farmers, get everything right. It was difficult, because ingredients like Greek yogurt weren’t available yet. There wasn’t a lot of arugula. Even the tomatoes weren’t that red.

“Because Greek cuisine is all about very good ingredients, you can’t really put just anything. You have to use extra virgin olive oil. It’s called perfect simplicity, wherein you rely on very good ingredients. You cannot do a low-end Greek and just cook with regular tomatoes or regular ingredients and expect something great. It’s all about the ingredients.

“During that time, I didn't know whether it was right to open in Manila eh. I wanted to rely on the foreign market so I opened my first restaurant in Boracay. Sabi ko baka hindi ako ma-embrace ng locals so at least may foreign market ako.

“So when I went to Boracay, the idea there was I was going to watch the sunset. Go to the beach, get my cocktail, cook in the restaurant right? “And you know, just cruise along, right? But, you know, what happened, I never saw the beach. I never got my cocktail. I never got to see the sunset kasi I was always busy in the restaurant.

“We had a seven-day waiting list, and for a small, 40-seater restaurant, we had seven turnovers in one day so it was a phenomenon. Then sabi ko, ‘You know what, let’s go back to Manila,’ kasi I also didn’t really want to get stuck on the island because I realized I’m not really designed for the beach. I couldn’t wear flip-flops the whole time, right? I need something stable.

“And then I went back to Manila and I opened na in Shangri-La Mall in 2003. So when I opened my first restaurant here—and it was an instant hit. It was a big hit. Then after that, six months later, I opened in Greenbelt. And then, six months later, I opened in Trinoma. I kept on opening—it was just nonstop.”

3| Know how to grow a brand portfolio by targeting different market segments

Creating different brands that meet different customer needs is a strategic way to serve a wider market without diluting your core identity. Each brand allows a business to target a specific segment more effectively—whether the basis is lifestyle, price sensitivity, or dining preferences—which makes the overall portfolio more relevant and responsive to changing demands.

Instead of stretching one concept to fit everyone, separate brands uphold clear identities and deliver tailored experiences that resonate deeply with their intended audience. This approach also enables flexible pricing, expands market share, and introduces room for innovation.

On an operational level, it builds resilience: if one brand encounters headwinds, others in the portfolio sustain the business. Over time, this structure increases customer lifetime value by offering options that adapt as customer needs evolve.

Goco built a portfolio of restaurant brands by clearly understanding that different customers value different dining experiences. Instead of stretching one brand to cover all segments, he created distinct concepts—Cyma, Souv, and Elaia—each designed to meet a specific customer need without compromising the integrity of the others.

Cyma, his first concept, delivers a slow, immersive Greek dining experience. In contrast, Souv targets a younger, faster-paced crowd. Then there’s Elaia, a concept rooted in health and longevity. Together, these brands reflect Goco’s belief that restaurants should not just serve food but deliver meaning.

Each concept has a clear identity and a loyal following. Rather than overlapping, they complement one another—expanding his market reach while staying true to the values of authenticity. His portfolio shows that when each brand speaks clearly to a specific need, the whole business ecosystem flourishes.

“I met this little girl in Greece,” he says. “She was peeling something that time, yung radish and her lola was doing something too, and she was helping. Nagku-kwentuhan lang kami. Ang sabi sa’kin, her name Cyma means ‘to flourish’ so to flourish ang ibig sabihin ng name niya. Since then, that name stuck in my mind. When I opened my restaurant in Boracay, I named it Cyma.

“From the day I developed it, ayon na talaga—I thought, how can I make it different from Cyma? Because Cyma is already good on its own. Bakit pa ako magtatayo ng iba na parang kakalabanin ko lang ’yong restaurant ko? Sabi ko hindi, this has a different approach. In Cyma, when you dine there, the average dining time is two hours but in Souv, it’s 45 minutes. Dapat pag-upo mo dyan, nakakain mo na ’yong pagkain. Because it’s complete—from appetizer, soup, salad, etc.

“Souv is short for Souvla or Souvlaki. Ito ’yong mga karne na nilalagay sa rotisserie, niluluto ng open flame, diba? It’s always meat—big cuts of meat. Souv also means fast. It has many meanings. Ano siya eh, in Greece, we just wanted to have a catch to it. So nandoon ’yong Souv.

“At Souv, you should be able to eat your lunch within five minutes from the time you order. It’s the same quality but a different approach. Mas young, mas vibe, iba ’yong music, mas mabilis, mas bata, diba.

“I have another brand called Elaia. Elaia means olive. It revolves around food that’s cooked in extra virgin olive oil. So it’s all about extra virgin olive oil. But ano ’yan eh, a name should be supported with something great—with a truly excellent product, diba?

“Do you know in Greece, they cook using extra virgin olive oil 80–85 percent of the time. Sa atin, yong extra virgin olive oil pan-display lang eh. So for me, I make sure that in order for me to cook with extra virgin olive oil, I have to bring in my own—I have to import it from Greece myself. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sell or create something authentic—it’s going to be too expensive.

“And I will never use substandard or regular pomace olive oil. It has to be the best extra virgin talaga. Not only that—even when it's available, dapat talaga ’yong walang halo. Eh, kasi yong iba may halo pa rin eh.

“So tawag dito, yong culture nila—the Greek diet—hindi lang lahat sine-serve with rice. Kasi alam mo naman ang Filipino, lahat puro kanin-kanin-kanin, diba? Asians are always about rice. Pero in Greece, it’s always protein and vegetables. Maybe a salad? Maybe a dish that’s cooked in olive oil? Maybe a vegetable dish cooked with olive oil. So yon talaga—and you make sure that you stick with it.

“Kasi it’s really the experience that you give your customers. That’s really what it is now—when people go to a restaurant, they don’t just eat, especially if you’re charging more than P1,000 per person—they’re not going just to eat. They want an experience.

“Cyma is more like para kang nasa Athens. City restaurant yan. And then si Souv, meron kang tinatawag na progressive Greek. Parang si Cyma, meron siyang younger sister na nag-travel abroad. Pagbalik, may mga tattoo na at may funny accent. So with the global ingredients, may halo na. Kasi, like ang Filipino, wala naman dati na sinigang na salmon dito eh. Wala naman ditong lamb adobo dati.

“So that’s what we did. Innovation. It’s using worldly ingredients, incorporating them into Greek cuisine, right? And then mas young yung vibe. Young hindi lang traditional.

“Ang Elaia naman in Tagaytay is designed for longevity and well-being. Ito yung sa Tagaytay, yung everything is para kang may lolang nagluluto doon sa likod. So it's all closer to the source of the ingredients. It’s more of lutong probinsiya. And makikita mo, it’s still Greek. It’s very Mediterranean, but it promotes longevity and well-being.

“It's for people who want to eat a lot, but then again, takot sila. Takot sila with seed oils, canola, vegetable—takot sila don. Because seed oils cause fatty liver. Masama yan eh. They’re afraid of that. And they want a lot of fiber in their diet. But they also want to enjoy their meat. And then, they can’t take sugar anymore, probably because they’re diabetic. I don’t have sugar in my restaurants. So it’s healthy—we rely on healthy grains, not just white rice.

“And then maraming mix of protein, fiber, and vegetables. That’s what they want. That’s why this is just not Greek, kasi in reality, it promotes longevity and well-being. Yun talaga yun.

“You have to be different dapat. Case in point, lamb. Back then, everyone was going up, selling steak, pork, or chicken. Nobody sold lamb. So what I did—I made lamb mainstream. I even became the Australian ‘Lambassador.’ So I mean, it’s a journey where you just have to be different from others.

“That’s why I always offer something different. When something becomes a trend, lahat sila eh yun ang ginagawa, but mine—people understand that if you go into Greek, you have to make sure your ingredients are the best. Kung hindi ka makakakuha ng pinaka-magandang ingredients, it’s not gonna work, right? So a lot of people have tried, and I say, ‘Oh, people will know kung sino-shortcut mo sila eh.”

4| Know how to elevate customer experience through authenticity and storytellling  

In a market where many products and services appear similar, a compelling story gives customers a reason to care—it reveals the purpose, passion, and people behind what they are buying. Authenticity reinforces this by showing that the brand is honest, consistent, and grounded in real values.

Customers today are more discerning; they want to feel aligned with the brands they support. When a business shares its story—from sourcing ingredients to crafting a product or building a team—it invites customers into its journey.

This creates emotional resonance and promotes loyalty. Authentic storytelling not only humanizes the brand but also helps customers feel that their choices matter. Ultimately, it leads to deeper engagement, stronger word-of-mouth, and long-term relationships that go beyond one-time purchases.

For Goco, food is not just about flavor—it’s about meaning. He emphasizes that every dish must have a story, and every ingredient must have a clear origin. Whether it’s salt from Pangasinan or pepper grown in Alfonso by Italian farmers, Goco insists on knowing the source so he can pass that narrative to his staff and, ultimately, to the customer. This practice makes dining feel personal and intentional rather than transactional.

He also reframes the role of his team—not as servers, but as “experience givers.” Instead of simply taking orders, his staff must explain the inspiration behind each dish, what it pairs well with, and why it’s special. This deepens the dining experience by creating a sense of connection—not only to the food but to the culture and care behind it.

Goco’s authenticity also comes through in his rejection of shortcuts. He does not use commissaries or flavoring cubes. All dishes are cooked fresh, on-site, and without freezing ingredients, even though this demands more from his team. For him, quality and integrity are non-negotiable because they form the foundation of trust with his customers.

“I don't call my waiters servers, I call them experience givers,” Goco says. “They're supposed to give you an experience. Hindi lang yan order taker like ‘Anong order nyo, Sir? Anong bestseller? Ito lang po, ganyan-ganyan.’ No. They should be able to describe and tell, to give the narrative of the dish—yong ganito. Then they should tell you what pairs well, isang ganyan tapos ganun.

“Remember: ang pagkaing walang kwento, walang kwenta. Ganon yan eh. So if there’s no story, why are you paying P1,500 for your meal? If all they say is ‘Anong order nyo, sir?’ It’s not like that. They should tell a story. I know some people don’t, but the narrative nung dish mo should be clear.

“Because everything you serve—lahat ng pagkain na ano mo—lahat yan may istorya. Like me, I tell you, in Cyma, we use salt from Pangasinan—the best salt you can get. Our pepper? It's from Alfonso—planted by Italians. Iba ’yong quality nila.

“Hindi lang ako bumubukas ng sachet ng McCormick. No, no, no. Lahat yan, there has to be a story for each ingredient. That’s why everything I use in my restaurant—may istorya yan kung saan ko kinukuha because I need to know, so that when it reaches my customer, I can guarantee—walang mas masarap, walang mas maganda dyan, except sa akin.

“And you know, if you use the best possible ingredients, even if there's a slight mistake in execution, maayos pa rin yan eh. Yong iba parang ‘Oh my gosh.’ So you really have to get them involved and tell them the story.

“You have to hire good people. I cannot be present in all restaurants, but my team, which I constantly check on, they talk to me and make sure that they’re on top of each situation. Ganon talaga yan. Then you really have to trust people. You have to make sure that you share the same vision.

“And the challenge here is also the Filipino mentality of ‘pwede na yan.’ Once that attitude sets in, wala na. Even me, it’s a daily battle—hindi pwe-pwede ang ‘pwede na yan.’ I always tell them, ‘Come on!’

“We make our own bread from scratch every morning. I don’t have a commissary. Imagine, I have 10 restaurants and I still don’t know why, but everything is cooked on-premise, fresh. Mahirap talaga, pero that’s why you have to rely on good training, good people, good managers, good chefs, good ingredients.

“Because remember—if you do commissary, you incur packaging costs, transportation costs, tapos higher labor—only for you to have consistently low-quality products. You understand?

“Yong hipon ipapa-prep mo don sa isang kusina. Babalatan nila, icha-chop nila, aayusin, tapos ibabalik nila sa freezer. Tapos i-tra-transport nila doon, tapos pagdating don ilalagay na naman sa freezer. There’s just too many steps—too many ways for it to compromise the quality, diba?

“In my restaurants, I don’t have a freezer. Tanggalin ko na lang yong freezer. You know why? You have to manage it properly. You have to get it fresh, store it properly, at the right temperature, diba? Nothing frozen. Because if you freeze a particular product, it degrades. Pumapangit. So just get rid of the freezer. Make sure they manage it properly so they can cook fresh.

“I’m probably the only restaurant in the Philippines that doesn’t even use cubes—yong mga flavoring cubes. Yong mga iba panay daya eh. But us—no. You cook it properly.

“It's a constant learning, never-ending. A constant innovation. Once I create something and put it out—obsolete na yan. Kokopyahin ka na eh. So you have to constantly challenge your own recipe. People say, ‘Okay na yan, wag mo ng gagalawin.’ But for me? If it ain't broken, find a better version of it. Always.”

5| Know how to deliver excellence without compromise

In a market where many players chase short-term gains by cutting corners, maintaining high standards sets a business apart. Customers recognize and value quality, especially when it remains consistent across time and locations. This consistency reinforces a brand’s identity and assures customers they can count on a certain level of excellence with every experience.

More importantly, upholding standards protects a company’s reputation. Once compromised, trust is hard to regain. It also creates a strong internal culture—employees take pride in their work when they know the company refuses to settle for less.

Over time, this approach attracts a loyal customer base willing to pay a premium for quality and reliability, even in price-sensitive markets. In the long run, it's not the lowest price that wins—it’s the highest value delivered consistently.

For Goco, consistency, integrity, and innovation—not price cuts—form the foundation of sustainable success. Instead of compromising quality to match competitors’ prices, he focuses on constant innovation. He acknowledges that once a dish is released, it can quickly become obsolete. His solution is relentless self-renewal by refining techniques and staying relevant without abandoning his Mediterranean roots. While others may chase trends, Goco maintains his unique value proposition.

At the core of his strategy is integrity. Goco instills this in his team by refusing shortcuts. His leadership reinforces the idea that doing things right, even when difficult, is non-negotiable. By refusing to engage in price wars and choosing instead to compete on quality and consistency, he creates lasting impact in a competitive industry.

“People like to say passion, passion, passion,” he says. “You know, passion ebbs and flows. Today you're passionate, tomorrow you're passionate, the day after tomorrow baka hindi ka na passionate. Passion is there pero it's more of that desire—yong desire to do things the right way. For me personally, passion will get you there, but desire will let you stay there. Yon yan eh.

“That constant desire to achieve something. Kasi minsan, that very constant 'let’s go, let's do this'—tatamarin ka rin minsan. Pag malungkot ka, o pag may pinagdadaanan ka. Passion ebbs and flows eh. But desire—your desire to make sure that you have the best Greek restaurant in the Philippines, or even in Southeast Asia—it's there. It's a constant. Constantly making sure that you're the best in what you do. That’s desire.

“Innovation is important. You have to constantly innovate. Once you put a dish out or create something, obsolete na yan. Makokopya ka na. So you have to always upgrade—never-ending. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. Kasi kung hindi, you’ll be irrelevant.

“Imagine me—I’ve been at this since 1997. Andami-dami ng chefs na dumadating, pero ang dami ring nawawala kaagad. You have to stay relevant. You have to keep coming out with something new. Iba-iba na yong technique ngayon, iba-iba na yong cuisines. But you stick with what you do and make sure that you're the best in what you do. Pabayaan mo na sila. I don't wanna enter that realm—they're good at it. I want to enjoy their work. But me, ako—pagdating sa Mediterranean? You're guaranteed that I'm always innovating, always finding better ways.

“That’s why my next point is: know your market. Constant innovation, then know your market. Who are you feeding? What do they want? How are you gonna get them into your restaurant twice a week? Hindi yan parang steakhouse na pang-birthday lang. No. Akin, twice a week they come. Even three times a week.

“Imagine Tagaytay—nasa Tagaytay ka na, dadayuhin ka pa? You have to know your market, yong habits nila, how much they're willing to spend in a day. And how can you be part of their life? Ganon yan eh. You build brand loyalty. That’s how you do it.

“Sabi ko, know your market. Pati yong dietary requirements nila, yong health concerns nila—alam mo dapat yon. Tapos of course, like what I told you, pinaka-importante is yong core values mo.

“You give to your employees—you share your values. Hindi na pwede yong ‘pwede na yan.’ What I learned from my parents—integrity in what you do. Importante yan eh. You don’t learn that in school—you’re supposed to grow up with it. Every day, integrity. You get people to join you and tell them, 'Hindi mo pwedeng dayain yong ginagawa mo. Dapat taos puso. Tama.' You’re doing it the right way. It has to be integrity in what you do. Do not cut corners.

Kunyari, you see an ingredient you want and it's more expensive. You try to find a way to get it at the right price. If hindi talaga kaya, you pass it on. Kasi it’s a better product—and your customers deserve something better. Ayoko ng pababaan. Hindi ako lumalaban sa price war. Dito sa Pilipinas, laging price war. Akin hindi, and my customers appreciate it.”