Restaurant owner by day, bassist by the evening.
Kelvin Yu of The Itchyworms effectively balances his roles as a musician and entrepreneur despite the challenges of managing his time for both endeavors.
Yu is no stranger to running a restaurant as he has managed a handful of food establishments alongside his father over the years.
Two restaurants situated in the homey space of San Juan City, Francesco’s and Cafe Mabini are some of his successful ventures.
“Francesco’s is an Italian concept… ‘Yun yung napili ng dad ko since siya nag start nito and some of our relatives. They’re also passionate about Italian food,” he told Interaksyon.
The birth of Cafe Mabini, attached on the side of the restaurant, was an inspiration to adding Filipino-inspired breakfast on their food menu.
“Magandang magkaroon ng breakfast concept, but we can’t attach breakfast in an Italian restaurant, hence Cafe Mabini,” Yu added.
Both restaurants can be found on Mabini Street in San Juan City.
Aside from making music, the bassist considers the COVID-19 pandemic to be one of the biggest challenges he had to overcome as a businessman.
According to Sen. Loren Legarda, in 2020, food service sales experienced a significant decline due to restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the biggest humanitarian challenge of the decade, the musician shared a few tips on how to strategize for a resilient business.
Strategic location
In an exclusive interview with the bassist, Yu explained that the lot was initially an ancestral house which was then repurposed into a restaurant.
Their sustainable plan to transform a residential area into a food establishment is better than renting a place inside a mall.
“The plan is, we have to find a good spot,” Yu told Interaksyon.
However, the musician noted that the pandemic challenge put a slight pressure on his San Juan restaurants.
“Since [Cafe Mabini] was built last pandemic, naalala ko ‘di pa kami maka open kasi mayroon pang enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ),” he shared.
According to Yu, “know how to pivot” in situations like restricted access to public spaces made them dodge the pandemic curse.
Digital advantage
He also learned throughout the quarantine period that digital communication would be essential as he juggled music and business.
When he is on tour, technology plays a big part in managing Yu’s restaurants. With the help of social media, Yu was able to keep track of work anywhere and anytime.
“I have systems and people in place and I’m always online to coordinate and to align with them,” he said.
“Pero kasi kapag restaurant, it’s better if you’re [managing] physically [but] I can also be on top of the matters through online messaging,” Yu added.
Additionally, he said that hiring effective people to take care of the workplace also enhances a restaurant’s productivity.
“You have to have good people,” the musician-business owner emphasized. “[And] you have to have a keen eye for detail for operations and the business side.”
Restaurant budget
Influencing the success of a restaurant may also depend on how much the aspiring business owner is willing to shell out.
For the musician, he explained that startup capitals vary on how large the idea will be for the establishment.
“Pag [full] restaurant, siguro P5 to P10 million [is a good start]. Kung maliit naman na food store, it’s gonna be less than that.”
Other than that, the most vital tip he could share to people who want to build their food company is that it has to be one’s passion. His commitment evolved because he was able to work with his father who was also an entrepreneur.
And because two of his food franchises continue to deliver good food for residents and local foodies alike, Yu shared that he has ongoing discussions with partners to extend these restaurants into new areas including in Quezon City and Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
