Filipino restaurants in Chicago thrive despite the pandemic

The restaurant industry has suffered quite a bit due to the pandemic but Filipino restaurants in Chicago stand out as an anomaly. 

Chef Lawrence Letrero believes that culture is the key that has kept them going. He and his partner Raquel Quadreny own a Filipino-Cuban restaurant called Bayan Ko. This eatery recently celebrated its three-year anniversary by serving dinner kamayan-style which is a traditional Filipino meal served in family-size portions on a table lined with banana leaves. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Filipino American restaurants have been opening up all throughout the country and winning national acclaim all this while adapting to the pandemic changes like the rest of the industry. Letrero and Quadreny initially opened their restaurant as an eight-table storefront. Quickly customers were drawn in by the authentic food and intimate dining experience. They have sustained themselves through the pandemic by offering outdoor seating, take out and a loyal customer base. Quality plays a key role in this growth. The understanding of Filipino food has witnessed a cultural shift and many more native restaurants are opening up such as Cebu and Kasama. Cebu has announced that they will be opening a French-Asian bakery while Kasama was part of the New York Times's list of top 50 exciting restaurants. Letrero also believes that millennial chefs finally have an opportunity to pay their dues to their native culture. These young chefs had to work for typically Marican restaurants post studies at which point they looked forward to using all the acquired skills into opening their native restaurant like Letrero. 

Kathy Vega Hardy has a similar story, she started Taste of Philippines in Denver as a food truck and catering business and eventually moved to Chicago in 2018. What started as a simple stall at the Daley Plaza Farmer's market quickly grew to a brick and mortar iteration in the Chicago French Market. Her business grew to such an extent that she had to permanently hire a suos chef to keep up with the order. Hardy believes that the support from the community consisting of all races of people is a huge help. 

Source: The Chicago Tribune