How to keep your business rising
In 2012, Wildflour Bakery & Cafe opened its doors in Manila, giving us a taste of world-class cuisine. Wildflour was founded by Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo with her sister, Margarita Lorenzana Manzke, a multi- awarded pastry chef, and her husband, Walter Manzke, a chef and entrepreneur based in LA who’s worked at numerous three-Michelin-star restaurants.
Fast forward to eight years later, Wildflour has branched out to 15 different locations, five of which carry their main concept. This bakery and cafe remain one of the most popular and beloved restaurants in Manila by Filipinos and foreigners alike.
When we asked Ana what inspired her to get into the food business, her immediate reply was, “A love for restaurants is all in the family. My grandma Amelia Gordon ran a successful bakery in her hometown. I witnessed her thrills and challenges in serving people at the break of dawn. I experience that daily with Wildflour. Growing up, I also witnessed in my parents what it took to run a business. Together, my mom and dad grew Lorins Patis from a fledgling company to one that distributed fish sauce to as far as the United States. They taught me to dream big.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two years have been tough and challenging, but this didn’t deter Ana and her team. Wildflour still managed to give the best quality food and was able to quickly put up the Wildflour To Go app.
Strengthened with their team’s motto “Rising like flour,” they continue to set their sights on further expanding their food business in all corners of Metro Manila.
Ana shares big chunks of advice for entrepreneurs who want to get into the restaurant business.
1. Concept is king. With so many new players in the food industry that have come and gone over the last few years – brick and mortar, delivery, a combination of both – it is more difficult than ever for each restaurant, especially those just entering the game, to stand out in such a crowded field. It then really comes down to the restaurant entrepreneur envisioning a solid concept: one that really brings something to the table, is distinct, and gives diners a reason to keep coming back. Without a firm foundation for your restaurant, it is very easy to fade into the background and become just another fish in the sea.
2. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. The industry is very dynamic and restaurants need to evolve with the times or end up stagnating or being forgotten.
3. Aim to be timeless, not trendy. Growing the business in unexpected ways is definitely crucial, but this does not mean you should just jump on the bandwagon when something is doing well (e.g. adding boba tea to your menu just because it’s the hot-ticket item of the moment). If it doesn’t make sense within your concept, it shouldn’t be forced.
4. Location, location, location. It's a cliché for a reason. Whether dine-in, takeout or delivery, accessibility and proximity will always be a major deciding factor when choosing where to order food.
5. Put your people first. Restaurants are one of the businesses that really rely on human effort and interaction, and that’s not something that can be easily replicated or automated. This is why you should always make it a point to take care of the people that have stuck with you, that come in to work each and every day, so that they are safe, given great opportunities and rewarded accordingly when deserved, and see to it that they grow along with the business.
6. Never be complacent. Yes, you can be meeting sales targets, winning awards, or achieving new highs, but if you rest on your laurels, those more aggressive and more hardworking than you can easily overtake you. This is the case for all businesses, but arguably more so for restaurants and especially in the Philippines, where things change at the drop of a hat and so do people’s tastes and opinions. There needs to be the constant push and effort to be a better business and a better restaurant than you were yesterday and to assume there is always room for improvement, as this will spell the difference between those that stay relevant and those that struggle to keep going.
7. Data is the way of the future. We live in the 21st century and it has never been more necessary to have quick and accurate information to run a business. This is underrated when it comes to restaurants, as just with how fast-paced the industry is and how rapidly things change, having the data to know exactly what is going on at every level and be able to make informed decisions is extremely critical to leading and managing an efficient operation. They say the truth will set you free, and having the facts available to you will paint a clear path of where to go.
8. Everybody is competition. Now more than ever, with so many options for customers to choose from between an endless list of establishments, cuisines, products, promos, and platforms, you are no longer just limited to competing with the restaurants beside or around you, but almost every single food provider within a five- to 15-km. radius. The sooner you realize that, the less you will be prone to tunnel vision and catering your strategies to try to one-up those that you have deemed as “major” competitors. Just strive to make your business the best it can be, plain and simple, regardless of whom you are competing with.
9. The food should speak for itself. People sometimes forget that restaurants are food establishments first and foremost, so no matter how great the ambience or service may be, at the end of the day, good food is what people will always look and return for. Everything else will follow.
10. Trust your instincts. There are so many moving parts to running a restaurant business, so many small decisions that need to be made, and so many factors out of your control. Things can get so overwhelming that you sometimes begin to question if you’re handling everything as it should be. Still, it’s important to trust that you know what’s best for the business. It is important to seek help and to delegate when needed as you can’t do everything alone, but all things considered, you are the driver of your restaurant business, so filter out the noise, and trust that you, and God, have your own success and best interests planned out for you.
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