Happy Ongpauco-Tiu is known for her ingenuity in the food industry.
At press time, she has 24 restaurants and stalls scattered across the Philippines.
Of course, it helps that she comes from a family of restaurateurs.
The Ongpaucos are known for Barrio Fiesta, with some branches being managed by her sisters.
Happy, for her part, chose to "do things on my own right after college."
Fun fact: Her dad Rod is the brother of Heart Evangelista's dad Ray and her mom is former actress Liberty Ilagan+, the daughter of National Artist and actor-director Gerry de Leon.
In Happy's exclusive interview with PEP executive editor Karen Caliwara and Glad’s lady boss Daye delos Reyes, she talks about her journey as a restaurateur.
"I love my dad, but I have my own ideas., and what I did, because I didn't have money, I maxed out my credit card.
"That was how I opened my first hole-in-the-wall restaurant," she tells PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
"I had a 20-seater, 50-square-meter place, really small, in Timog, Quezon City.
"That was my first."
She is referring to her first baby, World Topps.
Twenty-five years later, she has a food and beverage empire called Happy Concept Group—which manages World Topps; Tsokolateria, which has six branches; Pamana, which has three branches; Le Chon, which has stalls in SM Aura in Taguig and Powerplant Mall in Rockwell; I Love Backyard BBQ in Boracay; Dear Happy, a dessert bar.
She also has Private Dining by Happy Concept Group, a bespoke catering company, and My Happy Home.
But her most important roles, she says, are "being a wife and being a mom."
She has built her name into a thriving brand, and now seems to work to ensure that every dish she creates, every table she sets, and every event she plans exceeds expectations.
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HAPPY ONGPAUCO AS A BOSS
All these, says Happy, she owes to the people she works with.
"For me, I really treasure my employees because they are the reason why I am here.
"They are the soul of my business. Without them, I cannot do any of these.
"So my first chef from World Topps is still with me. He’s been working for me for the last... I’m 50 now, I started at 20, so for 30 years.
"My managers from 30 years ago—most of them are still with me.
"So I'm lucky to have employees who really stay and love me."
Most of all, "They love their jobs."
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Happy is meticulous about her schedule, starting from the moment she wakes up at 7 A.M. as her four sons prepare for school.
Her day is packed with meetings, countless video calls with her staff, hands-on event preparations, and restaurant branch inspections—all of which must be completed before dinner.
For her, the 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. time slot is sacred—her "non-negotiable."
No matter how busy she gets, she has to be home to have dinner with her family.
“And I’m able to do all of these because of my staff. They follow a system, they know what to do, they are trained to be efficient.
"Sometimes, they video-call me and show the tablescape. I can actually hold several private dinners at the same time, and we’re able to do that because of them."
How is she as a boss?
"Oh, I am strict. I can be very strict. If I'm mad—if you push me to my limit—I can be very... I mean, they're scared of me."
Does she raise her voice?
"Oh, I do. I'm also like military, but I don't curse.
“I make sermon, but after getting mad at them, I say sorry, na parang, you know, 'I'm sorry, napagalitan kita, but you deserve it,'" she says, laughing.
"But seriously speaking, I acknowledge my mistake. And after every episode, I apologize. I apologize and explain where the anger is coming from in a proper manner.
"Kasi, siyempre, we're all human naman, di ba? There are moments na biglang we get irritated, but most of the time, pag nagagalit ako, it's always because the reason is valid.
“Kasi you cannot be complacent in this business. Like, right now, even if we’re having this interview, my eyes are moving. Even if you have been doing this for most of your life, you have to be always on your toes."
What makes the employees stay?
She pauses before answering, "They know that when they need me, I'm there.
"I think that's the reason why they stay loyal.
"Like, I will never say no to any help they need.
"I have a lot of friends in the industry who ask me, ‘How do you do it? Why are your staff still with you?’
"And I always say, it's gratitude.
“I am grateful they are a part of my life, and I make them feel how grateful I am.”
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HAPPY PACKAGE FOR EMPLOYEES
She has many programs for her staff, but the one she’s most proud of is her “kabuhayan” package.
"Each month, we do a bunutan, and I give an amount that they can use to start a business, like a sari-sari store or a mommy cart.
"And then I teach them. I help them grow that money, halimbawa, twenty thousand pesos.
"I even have a booklet where I keep my notes and track the progress of their business. It includes how much they spend, how much daily income they have.
"I teach them how to manage it."
It's like they have a business consultant?
"Parang ganun. Pero I do not just give advice , e.
"So if it's a sari-sari store, for example. If ang benta nila is 1,000 pesos, they can only spend 200 pesos. The 800 pesos must be set aside.
“Pinapa-check ko pa yung puwesto. Like, if gusto niya magpatayo ng barbeque stall, I have someone na titingnan, kukuhaan ng picture yung area, before I say, ‘Puwede ito.’
"And then I teach magkano ang cost nung barbecue, so kung ang barbecue meat mo ay isang kilo, makakagawa ka dapat ng ganito pagkatapos ibebenta mo siya for this amount para kikita ka.
“So these things, we have to teach them lalo pa’t mabilis maubos ang pera. Sayang kasi if hindi ma-sustain kasi wala nang pang-ikot na pera.
"So that’s what I always tell them, ‘Dapat may naitatabi ka na ganitong amount.' And I monitor.
Happy shares a success story.
“So I have a girl na may mommy cart, so tinuturuan ko siya, costing ng mommy cart, magkano mo puwede ibenta ito.
"And after certain period, the goal was to have more carts.
"She started with one, now she has four. Napa-college na niya yung mga anak.”
Is she still one of her employees?
“Yes, she's still with me.
"Kasi yung sa kanilang lahat, kailangan nanay nila o kapatid nila yung magpatakbo.
"In a way that’s also helping the employee have another earner sa family, di ba.”
Do the employees really use the money for business?
"Yes. And in six months, we review. Kung hindi niyo iyan napatakbo nang tama, balik niyo sa akin yung pera. Para they'll value it, di ba?”
One employee is chosen each month.
“Sometimes, if a branch’s performance is good, we choose two."
Her goal this year is to expand this "kabuhayan package" on a larger scale.
"Kasi I want to be able to spread the word, so I may have to work with an LGU [Local Government Unit].
"With 20,000 to 30,000, that's not a big chunk of money. But it can really change a life of a family.
"So it's my advocacy for my staff. They grow with me pati their family.
“And when they retire, their kabuhayan is already in place.
"It’s a long-term and an ongoing thing that already benefits them in the present and even sa future.”
She credits her dad Rod Ongpauco for this idea.
“My favorite saying growing up was from my dad: ‘If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. But if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.’"
HOW MY HAPPY HOME CAME ABOUT
My Happy Home, which sells homeware and other household essentials, was born, Happy says, as a form of support for her employees during the pandemic.
"So that one, I had to open an online store to keep my employees afloat because I had to close my restaurants then.
"My Happy Home was focused on tablescape accessories at first.
"Parang what happened kasi, it became such a fad during the pandemic.
"Remember, the people were actually into making their own dining experience at home?
"And at the time, I have my suppliers from abroad because of my catering. So talagang at the onset, parang I was like, I have to do something to keep the people who wanted to stay in Manila, for them to have jobs.”
She reassigned her staff to different roles, and, by her account, they embraced the changes wholeheartedly.
"So my chefs became the deliverymen. My waiters became the bodegero.
"So talagang we found something to do for everyone. They did not mind naman.
"Kasi instead of not having a job, at least they had something going to support their family.
"So it became a blessing, and it really helped them.”
From an online store, My Happy Home has now grown to become a physical store at New Greenhills Mall. It's now in SM Aura, too, plus there's a My Happy Home Cafe in Rustan's Makati.
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"It's still a home store. I mean, I still have a lot of tablescape accessories.
"But I also have na like lamps and drop lights and small tables, chairs, and furniture.
"Parang, I guess, the plan of the tablescaping is medyo not passé. It will forever be there."
How did the concept come about? Was it a "eureka" moment that suddenly came to her?
“No. It was not about my creativity at all. It's really, for me, more of a divine intervention.
"Kasi it was really through prayers.
“During that week na parang it was announced na we have to close down, I was like, 'Lord, what will I do? Please give me something new.' Aside from the business aspect kasi, may mga mawawalan ng trabaho.
"Kasi tayo, kahit paano, it's easy. We can support ourselves. So I was just praying, 'Lord, help me support them.'
"I have 300 employees. Half of them went back home to the provinces, pero the people who stayed here had no place, no food.
“So I was praying and praying, then parang one day, I woke up and the idea was there.
“So My Happy Home was really like a blessing na parang God said, ‘Uy, gawin mo ito.’ And it worked.
"It helped feed a hundred families at the time.
"And we sold many, many plates, which brought joy to many."