Day 17: Business Meeting 1 + Competition 4

Had our first business meeting today. Found the company who will be a vital part in helping us execute our concept on Entrepreneur magazine. Went back and forth around Edsa trying to locate the place until finally we called them and found out that the address on the magazine was different from where they're located! Was a bit irked–gasoline doesn't come cheap!!!

We were very pleased with how the meeting went. Have a much better idea of our timeline and how much capital we would need. As with most start up ventures, we would probably have to loan from our parents, which at first glance would seem embarrassing to do but it's the most realistic thing at the moment. After all we were blessed with hardworking parents who can leverage us so why not make the most of this opportunity? Maraming salamat aming minamahal na itay at inay.

After this meeting, things just seem more tangible. It's unavoidable to lose motivation along the way but events such as today help propel us to go on and not give up.

The 'competition' we tried for dinner was good! Better than the previous 3. Getting closer to creating the perfect recipe.

Good night xxx

Day 16: Competition 3 + Happy Valentines!

Left early today and headed out to Angeles City to assess our third competitor. Heard a lot of good things about this place from a couple of people, persuading us to take a three hour drive to this establishment on Valentines day. Nee and I thanked our lucky stars that it was V-day today since it's normally closed on a Monday.

Food was alright but felt it was too authentic for commercial taste.

Margarita for drinks

On our way back home, we noticed lots of foreigners in Angeles City. Specifically old white males hanging around at a seedy bar/club strip with much younger Filipina companions. Oh Manila, you could do so much better! This shouldn't have come as a surprise since Clark used to be a US military facility. Still, it stupefied us a bit as there's nothing much happening around the area though we've yet to explore the city.

Day 13: Competition 2 + Inked

Started the day by heading to S&R to note prices of ingredients. Oopppsss, much to our dismay, doing so is not allowed so we were told off. Quite a silly rule since the price is indicated on the packaging anyways.

Next surveyed another competition! Tried their food and surprisingly, Nee and I liked it. So much better than the first place we tried. Restaurant ambiance was well thought of too. Managed to get the average number of people who lunch there on weekdays and weekends. Rather sneaky of us.

Ended the afternoon by accompanying a friend who is getting a tattoo at Vice Ink, Makati branch. Got lost a bit since they moved to a different location. Clean place and friendly staff. It's located at The Collective. There wasn't a lot of people, which is unfortunate since it's a really promising concept/great potential. Maybe better marketing/PR? Tattoo didn't hurt daw but I've got a pain tolerance the level of an ant so it probably wouldn't apply to me.

Day 12: Meeting 2 + Competition 1 + Burlesque

Just like yesterday, we met up with another person, Ms. L, who offered generous advice about entering the food industry in the Philippines. Got some helpful contacts on a designer, packaging supplier, and insurance. There are still some kind people left in this world after all!

For lunch, we went to check out one of our competitors. The food was way below my expectations. Val found it alright though since she hasn't really tasted a lot of this type of food. We've asked a few people around and four out of five didn't have favorable things to say about this place. The restaurant is doing well for itself though. It's quite popular now among yuppies. Portions were sizable but I personally think the price is a bit too high for the quality and the service. Hopefully, we can provide better quality, better tasting dishes and better service.

We watched Burlesque in the evening. Had popcorn. Cheese popcorn rocks! Rotten Tomatoes gave it a thumbs down. Story wise, it's nothing new. Small town girl Annie moves to LA for better things– as she couldn’t find anyone she aspired to be . I thought that was such a meaningful line. Surprisingly, Christina Aguilera was not bad at all.  Her performance was jaw dropping. Nee said she could feel it rushing down her body.