MANILA, Philippines — Happy Ongpauco-Tiu and Heart Evangelista, whose real name is Love Marie Ongpauco, might be both pretty and stylish, but they are not sisters.
At the recent re-opening of SM Aura’s food court Food on Four, Happy launched her new restaurant venture, Le Chon Prime, one of the new dining options in the newly revamped food court.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Happy explained her real kinship with Heart.
“Heart is my first cousin,” Happy said, “A lot of people thought we’re sisters kasi my name and her name is the same, but her dad and my dad are siblings.”
Their family, in general, owns the iconic Filipino restaurant chain Barrio Fiesta, said Happy.
“The Ongpauco family owns Barrio Fiesta. My family has several branches… My other cousins have Barrio Fiestas also. Heart, the dad is already retired. So now, I’m not sure if they have any branches. But me, my dad has, my other uncles have also,” she explained.
The Barrio Fiesta branches under Happy’s family, she noted, are now being managed by her sisters.
“But me, after college, I really went on my own and opened Happy Concept Group,” Happy said of her own restaurant chain company, under which she has the restaurants Pamana, Tsokolateria, Bento Box, I Love Backyard BBQ, and her new ventures, Dear Happy, Le Chon and the first Le Chon Prime in SM Aura.
When asked what she thinks is Heart’s favorite from Happy Concept Group’s dining joints, Happy quipped: “She doesn’t eat eh! Kaya sexy!”