PAMPANGA, PHILIPPINES — foodpanda, the on-demand food delivery service in Philippines, shares the success stories of three of its well-known restaurant partners in Pampanga and how they set themselves apart from their competitors. Their stories definitely prove how one can further grow and serve more customers with delicious and flavorful food once they innovate their business.
Aling Lucing’s Sisig
Lucia Cunanan, the now famous sisig queen, opened Aling Lucing’s back in 1974 (used to be Aling Lucing’s Barbecue). One normal business day, Aling Lucing was grilling pig’s ears when she accidentally burned it. Instead of throwing it out, she chopped them up finely and made a quick sauce using a mix of calamansi, salt, pepper, liver, and onions. She served these to her sukis and it clicked, and so, she continued serving the dish to her customers. It gained popularity especially among the drinkers as it’s become a perfect pair for beer.
For years now, Aling Lucing’s Sisig has been using the same recipes as it did decades ago. They stay true to the original ingredients their customers loved. Continuing the Aling Lucing legacy, they intend to remain simple and humble. In the future, they want to have additional branches but would like to stay true with who we are.
“It’s always been amusing to see foreigners and famous politicians and celebrities come in here and eat in our humble cafeteria-like place. There’s no air conditioning, it’s very smoky, everything is very basic. But they enjoy the food, and that’s what they come here for–the food more than the place”, said Ms. Mina Cunanan, grandchild of Aling Lucing.
Everybody’s Cafe
Established by Carmen Lacson Nogoy in 1946 after the war, Everybody’s Cafe started as a carenderiawhere they initially served palabok, coffee, and other simple dishes that are homegrown Kapampangan favorites. Pette Jorolan, daughter of Carmen, and now the owner of the cafe, wanted to impart a message that the restaurant was not just for the Filipinos or the Americans or the Japanese– it was for everyone! Up until today, it falls true to its name as normal people and even people with big names representing different sides of the political spectrum come to the restaurant to meet. Indeed, everybody eats at Everybody’s!
Back in early 2000’s, Everybody’s closed for more than a year but Ms. Jorolan opened it again. At first, she was skeptical about it because even though Everybody’s is famous, there are still so many other competitors. She then told herself that it was important that she stayed true to who they are and to continue serving dishes that set them apart.
“I hope the mission to preserve Kapampangan cuisine will be continued. Our fresh papaya lumpia and special murcon are some of the authentic Kapampangan dishes we want to preserve in its original form. We want to prevent the traditional cuisine from being forgotten,” said Ms. Jorolan.
Nathaniel’s Bakeshop
Back in 1994, Nelly Co, owner of Nathaniel’s, initially sold siomai, siopao, and mami in a small garage in San Fernando, Pampanga. Returning customers looked for more products so Nelly made what is now called by many as “Pampanga’s Famous Buko Pandan Salad”. Nathaniel’s moved to San Fernando Pampanga’s business district in 2005 and is now a full blown restaurant that offers a wide range of quality yet affordable food such as dimsum, desserts, pastries, cake, kakanin, rice meals, and merienda. Currently, Nathaniel’s has 10 branches which are located in Pampanga and some parts of Metro Manila.
“Back then, when we were featured on KrisTV. Kris Aquino went to our main branch in San Fernando, Pampanga and two weeksafter it aired, our sales went up. It also feels really great when customers compliment our food. That’s why we hope to open more branches in more areas to be able to cater to more customers and gain new ones. To all aspiring business owners, make sure you love what you are doing and truly believe in your products,”said Ms. Nelly Co, owner of Nathaniel’s.
Restaurants should always be ready in adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the food industry. Given the pandemic, foodpanda has now become part of these three restaurant partners’ journey in catering to customers who prefer the comfort of having their favorite food delivered right to their doorsteps.
