INK Alumni Feature: An Enderun Alumni And His Lineup Of Local Establishments
Enderun has been nurturing world-class individuals ever since 2005. Stepping into the real world with consistent and substantial knowledge to position them on secure career paths, whether it be in the international or local scene, Titans have always proved to be competent to overcome challenges that come their way.
Jared Sto Tomas, an Enderun Alumni, is a local business owner and co-owner, with numerous food and beverage establishments in the Philippines, such as Moonshine Ortigas, Big Belly’s MNL, Tipsy Pig Gastropub, and more. Jared has proven that staying in the local scene can be just as lucrative in contrast to working or setting up a business abroad.
Jared has been extremely grateful for the knowledge that he received in his time at Enderun. It proved to be advantageous as he collected the necessary theoretical skills that he used in the real world. He was given the tools to understand the ins and outs of the business world. Subjects that are offered in Enderun such as Accounting and Finance proved to be useful to Jared, in terms of his business’s financial statements. Jared also pointed out that management subjects, such as Total Quality Management were beneficial as well. Before Enderun, Jared built out some practical skills when he set up a food stand when he was in high school— albeit lacking in theory when he stepped into Enderun. But the lack in this area was supplemented by the studies he accomplished in Enderun.
According to Jared, the difference between the professional kitchen compared to the university kitchen is vast. This did not stop him nor did he lag behind though, as the skills he learned in class and on his internships made him highly competitive in the outside world among his peers. This is made possible by the world-class professors that we have in Enderun, who were formerly, some currently, leaders in their craft with invaluable and unquestionable expertise.
Jared has stated, “When you graduate, after your internships, you really gotta figure out where you want to go— where you want to work”. It is of utmost importance that you figure out what you want to do next. You can choose to work abroad or work here in the Philippines, but they may also choose to set up their own business as soon as they graduate. However, he highly recommends working outside of the country so that you can further solidify and hone your skills for about one to two years, and then continue from there on forth. This truly does depend on how you see yourself and how confident you are with the ‘tools’ that you currently have.
“If you want to be a game-changer in the industry, you have to be a well-travelled person”, as stated by Jared. He believes that experiencing different cultures and gathering information from different countries will allow you to obtain the mastery that you need. He also considered that not everyone can travel, but he believes that this mustn’t stop you from having the mindset to continue to learn as there are so many alternatives that a person can take, such as online courses.
In terms of his lineup of restaurants, Jared’s unique take which sets his restaurants apart from most of the other competitors out there is that, foodwise, there are always new things on the menu. There is not much of a drastic change but they try to always have something different every quarter of the year, which continues to pique their customer’s interest.
The pandemic has been an obstacle to all businesses around the world, and Jared’s restaurants and bars are no exception. Similar to the other businesses in the Philippines, all of his establishments follow strict social distancing and health protocols. But he believes that giving confidence and assurance to his customers that his establishments are regularly sanitized is important as well. One of his bars and restaurants in Batangas, Gastro Publiko, has been hit hard by the pandemic. Since it is situated in the province, people there are more cautious and scared to go out. Due to this, Jared renovated and rebranded Gastro Publiko to make it more vibrant and clean to fit the standards of the pandemic, which was A great way to adapt to the situation.
Jared, along with the other alumni situated in the Philippines, continues to strive and set standards comparable to that of the international dining experience. Local businesses don’t seem to get the same recognition as businesses that are situated abroad, but Jared and other entrepreneurs, hoteliers, and restaurateurs have proved that you don’t have to look far to receive the same global standards. Jared continues to support the local scene to boost the popularity of the country and to improve the standards and generate new business ideas that can benefit the country, which is not only limited to the hospitality industry.
You can follow and check out some of Jared’s establishments through their Facebook pages: Moonshine Ortigas, Big Belly’s MNL, Tipsy Pig Gastropub, and Gastro Publiko.
