Happy—it’s more than her name. It's also the emotion she wants every restaurant patron to experience through her food. True enough, customers step out of her dining establishments with satisfied stomachs and smiles on their faces.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
“As long as the people who eat my food are happy, I’m happy, too,” she says.
Meet Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, the culinary mastermind behind a successful chain of restaurants that includes brands Pamana, Hawaiian BBQ, World Topps, and a number of other dining endeavors that go beyond the typical eatery.
CONTINUE READING BELOW
Recommended Videos
Her own Mark Bumgarner skirt; Patek Philippe Calatrava watch, Greenbelt 5. PHOTO: JOSEPH PASCUAL
Post a Comment
THE APPETIZER: A BOLD BEGINNING
The skill and discipline that Happy needed to manage a restaurant were fostered in her starting at age six. At the time, her parents, Rod Ongpauco and Liberty Ilagan, had already been running several restaurants including the popular Barrio Fiesta. In her own little way, a young Happy did her part by handing out menus to customers.
Her roots in the food industry were pretty much known, and she was beloved for it. “My teachers knew that we were in the restaurant business so I would get away with a lot of things just by bringing crispy pata to school,” she recalls.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Those were the small perks of being the "COO," or child of the owner. And so when it came down to whether or not she would join her parents in the business, it was practically a given. After college, Happy was off to the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, California—a trip that would ultimately change the course of her life.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
While away, the then-20-something encountered her first brush with independence. Living alone for the first time made Happy realize that she wanted to carve out her own name in the restaurant industry. She had an epiphany: “There was so much left to do, and my family had already paved their way in the restaurant world, so I wanted to do that for myself, too.”
When she returned to the Philippines, she found herself contemplating her situation. “I had so many ideas that I wanted to execute myself so that was what inspired me to go on my own. I wanted my own playground,” she says.
With a newfound goal in mind, Happy mustered up the courage to establish the inaugural branch of World Topps, which began as a 20-seater hole-in-the-wall dining concept. Without her dad’s knowledge, she maxed out her credit card. “But he saw that it clicked, and he allowed to go on my own,” she recalls.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Twenty-three and fearless at the time, Happy was her own boss. The savvy businesswoman set aside her earnings from the success of the first World Topps branch and opened a second branch in 2011. That success continued to multiply until present-day, with dining ventures that have mushroomed all across the city.
“It boils down to having guts, I guess, because not a lot of people will have the guts to do that, right? But I’m also very thankful to have supportive parents who were there to back me up,” she says.
And while her own business is thriving, Happy hasn’t strayed away from the family business completely, as she continues to handle the international expansion of Barrio Fiesta.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
THE ENTRÉE: WHAT MATTERS MOST
Today, Happy Concept Group, the mother company that manages Happy’s portfolio of businesses, has 14 restaurants on its roster, as well as a boutique bed and breakfast and a private catering service. Despite the steady growth throughout the years, Happy still considers herself “conservative” when it comes to business. She conducts the conceptualizing, accounting, menu planning, and kitchen staff training herself.
Despite it seeming like a one-woman-show in terms of management, Happy prefers it that way, but she attributes a bulk of her success—and her ability to juggle her businesses on top of raising four boys—to having a loyal and hard-working team by her side. “The employees that were with me when I first opened World Topps at age 23 are still with me now,” she marvels. “The secret to all of it is really my employees. They fuel this whole business of mine with their support.”
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Indeed, Happy has a great set of people behind her, including a butler who personally cares for her plate collection. In fact, the idea behind Happy’s Private Dining services was born out love for entertaining and her vast collection of plates and flatware. One of the unique services that Happy’s Private Dining provides is that clients get to choose their tableware from her own selection of plates, making the entire experience a perfectly bespoke one.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
“If women typically spend their money on bags and shoes, akoplato,” she jokes. Her obsession with plates is just a tad short of a sin, she says, but when friends suggested she start a catering service, Happy’s penchant for plates was suddenly justified.
It was initially her mother’s love for collecting dinnerware that left an impression on the entrepreneur, so much so that she wanted to build her own collection. The adage that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure rings true to this collector. She considers her most prized possession her first set of Bernardaud Limoges plates, a secondhand purchase from an aunt who no longer had any use for it. These days, Happy splurges on plates at either Rustan’s or Hermès, and they're also a top purchase when she travels.
When we met Happy, she had just opened her latest concept, Le Chon at the The Grid food hall at Power Plant Mall. It was well-received, she gleefully reported.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Michael Kors dress, Greenbelt 5; Patek Philippe Calatrava watch, Greenbelt 5 PHOTO: JOSEPH PASCUAL
Post a Comment
The venture got its name from the all-time favorite Filipino dish lechon, but Le Chon got its pronunciation from the French language, since Happy used French techniques in preparing the food. The four-item menu consists of lechon porchetta, lechonangus beef belly, gourmet lechonmanok, and lechon tuna belly, which are marinated in a rub of your choice.
Although the curated food hall houses some of the food scene’s best talents, Happy doesn’t compare herself to anyone else. “I’m in this business simply because I want to enjoy myself, and as long as I’m enjoying, I’ll continue to do what I’m doing,” she clarifies.
Her husband, Dexter Tiu, is right behind her on this. “My husband never stops me, as long as time for family is prioritized,” she says. “Whatever I’m doing now is just on top of what I do for my family.” Happy is mother to four boys: Renzo, 14, Chezco, 6, Nicco, 5, and 11-month-old Matteo. “Even when I’m running the business, when they call, I have to drop everything and be there for my family,” she says.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
While it may seem like she’s doing a million things, Happy’s world revolves around those four boys. She takes them to school in the morning, and while they’re at school, Happy goes to work. She makes sure to head home by 5 p.m. when there are no special events. (This, again, is where her trustworthy employees come in, ready to send her live updates via WhatsApp or Messenger regarding what goes on at Happy Concept Group when she clocks out for the day). At night, she tucks the kids into bed, since the boys can’t go to sleep without their mother.
Inspiration comes from the home for Happy, and it was from her children and husband that the concept of Mom Made was born. Dexter is very particular about the health of their children and the house has since banned instant meals and canned food. Whenever they dine out, Happy has to specify that no MSG be added into their meals. “There should be other people who are the same—who are very particular when it comes to the quality of their food,” she says, “So I thought, why not come up with ready-to-cook frozen kits for moms like me, who are conscious about the health of their children or maybe those who are busy and don’t have time to cook.”
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
THE DESSERT: A SWEET NEW VENTURE
While Happy would never compromise quality time with family for her business, Happy Concept Group’s best days have arrived. Apart from the release of Mom Made and the opening of Le Chon, Happy is also opening a restaurant in Palawan. Her newest baby, however, is a project called The Dining Room. It’s an off-shoot of her Private Dining service set in her own intimate house setting in Makati.
PHOTO: JOSEPH PASCUAL
Post a Comment
The Dining Room was designed by Happy’s best friend, Chat Fores. Together, the duo have created a house with its own theater and an entire room dedicated to showcasing Happy’s plate collection, which she aptly calls The Library. The Dining Room will maintain a certain exclusivity and will only cater to 20 to 40 people at a time, accepting dinner reservations two to three times a week.
Similar to her Private Dining concept, The Dining Room will offer a bespoke experience. Diners get to customize everything—down to their menus, their plates, and the attire of their waiters. Happy wants occasions spent at The Dining Room to be as special as possible, which is partly the reason why she did not opt to run it like a regular restaurant.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
What’s in store for the always-on-the-go Happy in 2019? “Let’s see,” she says simply.
Styled by Paolo Chua, assisted by Shanelle Samtani Makeup by Albert Kurniawan Hair by Lourd Ramos Additional art direction by Sandy Aranas Produced by Nicole Limos
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on Esquiremag.ph. By continued use, you agree to our privacy policy and accept our use of such cookies. Find out more here.
