Nelson Morales

Learn from minds behind Hapag, Mendokoro in this one-day hospitality boot camp

Article (news)

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Thirdy Dolatre, Erin Recto, and John Kevin Navoa of Hapag and Aya; and Ryan Cruz of Nippon Hasha Inc. (Yushoken, Mendokoro, Kazunori, and 12/10). Handout<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764063793034CCA Connect - Hapag and Aya - from right Thirdy Dolatre, Erin Recto, and John Kevin Navoa.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764063812174CCA Connect - Ryan Cruz, CEO of Nippon Hasha Inc.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>As the Philippine dining scene continues to gain international attention, especially with the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food-travel/2025/10/31/michelin-guide-launches-first-ever-ph-selection-108-restaurants-make-the-cut-0705">launch of the first Michelin Guide in the country</a>, industry leaders agree that a great meal is no longer just about the food, but also the overall experience -- something that guests can remember long after the last bite. And this is why the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila is launching a one-day boot camp where restaurant and hotel owners, chefs, and other members of the hospitality industry can learn new ways to create and deliver guest experiences.The inaugural edition of CCA&#x27;s boot camp, titled &quot;Experience is the New Menu,&quot; will be held on Thursday, November 27, at the Brittany Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It will bring together some of the country&#x27;s most respected names in the culinary and hospitality scene. Among them is Ryan Cruz, CEO of Nippon Hasha Inc. (Yushoken, Mendokoro, Kazunori, and 12/10), who will share how brands can scale without losing their essence. &quot;Repeat customers aren&#x27;t loyal to us -- they&#x27;re loyal to how we make them feel,” he said. &quot;The biggest mistake I see is that companies always want to scale too fast. Biggest doesn&#x27;t mean you&#x27;re at your best. It&#x27;s scaling reliability that will build your business.&quot;Also part of the boot camp are the team behind the Michelin-awarded restaurants <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/restaurants/11/09/19/progressive-filipino-food-is-alive-and-well-in-qc-at-the-cozy-enclave-that-is-hapag-manila">Hapag</a> (one Michelin Star) and Aya (Michelin Selected): Thirdy Dolatre, Erin Recto, and John Kevin Navoa.&quot;The food is not the product. The feeling is,&quot; said Navoa. &quot;I don&#x27;t remember the cuisine or the food generally when I eat at restaurants, but I remember how I felt when I was there.&quot;&quot;Service is also about connection and not just about giving you food and drinks,&quot; Dolatre added. &quot;We try to get to know our guests more and ask questions to be able to connect to them.&quot;Unlike traditional conferences, CCA Manila&#x27;s boot camp promises to focus more on real-world application than theory. Here, attendees can engage directly with speakers through hands-on workshops, in-depth discussions, and networking opportunities that allow them to apply what they learn immediately. CCA Manila communications director Ana Beatrice Trinidad noted that while most hospitality professionals in the Philippines know how to cook and manage operations, only a few of them have formal training in designing guest experiences. &quot;This boot camp is for people who understand that the restaurants winning in the next six months won&#x27;t just serve good food -- they&#x27;ll design experiences guests remember and return for,&quot; she said. &quot;The future of hospitality isn&#x27;t only about serving plates. It&#x27;s about serving emotions, meaning, and connection.&quot;Other featured speakers include Brittany Hotels HR head and executive RL Garcia and Decorum by MIL founder Isabel Lozano. CCA Manila&#x27;s boot camp will be held at the Acacia Function Room of Brittany Hotel from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on November 27, with the investment fee at P8,800 for individual participants, and P28,000 for teams of four. Rates include lunch, snacks, wine, cocktails, and membership to CCA Connect, a community of hospitality professionals. More details are available <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cca-connect-bootcamp-experience-is-the-new-menu-tickets-1864490474199">here</a>.

The Center for Culinary Arts Manila is launching a one-day boot camp where restaurant and hotel owners, chefs, and other members of the hospitality industry can learn new ways to create and deliver guest experiences.

The Center for Culinary Arts Manila is launching a one-day boot camp where restaurant and hotel owners, chefs, and other members of the hospitality industry can learn new ways to create and deliver guest experiences.