This month's cover girl talks about juggling several businesses while running a household with four boys.
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.
“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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.”
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
“If women typically spend their money on bags and shoes,
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 venture got its name from the all-time favorite Filipino dish
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
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
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.
The Dining Room was designed by Happy’s best friend, Chat Fores. Together, the duo
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.
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
