Entrepreneurship, the Cascada way

Would-be entrepreneurs can learn a lot from the experience of Carlo and Patricia Mesina, the husband and wife team behind the successful Kulinarya and Cascada restaurants.

But if there’s one lesson that stands out, it would have to be the one that says it’s possible to challenge traditional ways of doing business and still succeed.

First, most people are taught that to succeed at being an entrepreneur, you have to know the ins and outs of the business you plan to go into.  Ironically, Carlo and Patricia did not know anything about running a restaurant. 

But they did love food and eating out.  "It sounds funny, but my family was in the construction business–we built swimming pools," laughs Carlo, an electronics engineer and graduate of DeLa Salle.  Wife Patricia has a degree in Advertising and Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas.

It was their mutual interest in food that gave them the idea of trying out the restaurant business.  It also played a crucial role in their success.  "We loved eating out.  I guess if you’re trying to find a connection, that would be it," says Carlo.  "But every time we ate out, only a few restaurants could really satisfy our eating experience.  That’s when we thought of putting up our own restaurant." 

Again, here is where Carlo and Patricia’s experience diverges from traditional ways of doing business.  Most experts would advise that would-be entrepreneurs start out armed with a clear concept, comprehensive feasibility studies, well thought-out marketing plans and a vision of the direction they want their business to take.

Carlo and Patricia had none of the above.  Initially, when they opened their first restaurant at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell Center, they weren’t even sure what kind of food it would serve.  Chinese?  Filipino?  Italian?  Japanese?  "We didn’t have a clear concept when we started," confesses Carlo.  "All we knew was that we didn’t want to be associated with just one type of cuisine.  From our experience, we knew that as restaurateurs, we had to be able to meet the changing needs of our market.  That’s why we came up with the name Kulinarya."  In September of 2002, they opened Cascada at the new Greenbelt 3.

Strangely enough, both Carlo and Patricia say that their non-culinary experience comes in handy.  Carlo, an engineer by training, says his no-nonsense, practical approach to things makes him a natural for the operations side of the business.  "In engineering, we’re taught to be analytical, which is why I’m in charge of operations, procedures and standards," he says.  "My wife, who is in advertising and fine arts, is in charge of the food.  Her artistic background comes in handy, because she’s the one who mixes the colors and takes care of the presentation of the food."

Both restaurants–Kulinarya and Cascada–are doing well.  What pointers can Carlo give would-be entrepreneurs planning to go into the restaurant business like them?

First, he says, would be to keep studying.  Attend seminars.  Read books.  "My only background in the restaurant business came from reading books," says Carlo.

Second, stay on top of your market.  "You should constantly be on the lookout for what your market wants," advises Carlo.  After studying the Cascada market, Carlo and Patricia realized that what people wanted was a restaurant that could be classified as fine dining in terms of ambience and service, but casual dining as far as prices go.  Which is why they come up with a new  menu that includes items like   " Pot Roast Beef" " only for P245/P295; the "Blackened Fillet of Sole" only for P230/P280 and the  "Pork Tenderloin Saltimbocca" for only P245/P295.

Other specialties at Cascada are the Deep Fried Seafood Salad Maki (a must-try for maki lovers) and their desserts, such as the Concorde, a rich chocolate meringue cake with Venezuelan dark chocolate ganache filling, created specially for Cascada by pastry chef Jill Sandique.

Lastly, Carlo attributes their success to an age-old marketing strategy: word of mouth. To him, there is no form of advertising more effective than a satisfied customer. 

"We want our guests to go out and talk to others about our restaurant.  We have to make sure they have plenty of good things to tell their friends about us, and give them one or more reasons to return," he says.