A Story of Food Server to Now An Entrepreneur

When one door closes, a window opens. And I do believe that as long as we live, we are given infinite chances to start all over to make our lives better. This is precisely what happened to this very inspiring entrepreneur. She is the owner of 2 popular stores in San Pablo City, Adobo Mix Plate. It offers a fusion of Filipino and Korean dishes, which instantly hit Filipino taste. Like most entrepreneurs, Germaine has a story to share with us. To give hope to those who may have felt unmotivated. Or have lost the enthusiasm to pursue business because some entrepreneurs may have failed on their own businesses. But realistically, every business comes across some pitfalls, and bouncing back is not easy. However, we have also heard of the success stories, and this one will surely make you want to push your plans in starting your own business.

                                             

The business was not part of Germaine Quitain’s goals in her early 20s. She worked with a chain of restaurants outside their province, where she started as a food server. Not very long, though, she was promoted as a General Manager. Her plans were to work abroad to earn a higher salary. However, she was forced to resign from his job to prioritize being a single parent. It was a scary move since she did not have enough savings. However, a year after her resignation, she was lucky to find a home-based job that helped her with their needs.

Having saved some money, she decided to put up a small business in partnership with her friend – a Remittance and Payment Center. However, it was unfortunate that the business did not become successful; thus, all her savings and the money that she borrowed from her parents were lost.

Being desperate to earn back the money she lost, she thought about going back to her previous company, despite not getting back the old position. It was probably fated that her parents offered her a restaurant business, a high-risk business.

At first, she was a bit worried about putting up the business because they used to have a similar business but lasted for 3 months. She somehow blames herself for the loss of the business because there were times that she would go out while the restaurant was open and leave it with the helpers to take care of it. She was young then, and her mind was not into the business. She wanted to see herself in a different situation. She wanted to be “someone” who could achieve on her own without the help of others. This was a difficult time for her, but she needed to do something and let go of her pride. She was open to accepting any help that she could get. She then realized that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. That is actually fueling oneself to be a better person. It has allowed her to show her appreciation of her parent’s help.

From Store Manager to Entrepreneur

There were so many questions that flooded her thoughts. The fear of failure was haunting her. She questioned her capabilities in handling a business if she could take all the pressures and stress that goes along with it?

The struggle was real, and she did all she could until she came about her concept restaurant, the Adobo Mix Plate. It started serving Filipino dishes with the help of her mother and a Chef friend, Ann. She wanted to offer a different kind of food by adding a little twist on the usual Filipino dishes with Korean taste/touch. Before she could perfect the dishes, she had gone through many hardships and disappointments, even to the extent of almost giving up. But these challenges just made her much more vital to face all her fears. The business became successful, which led to opening up a second branch in just under 2 years.

The way to success is a rough and narrow road. But only those who persevere and have faith in themselves come out victorious in the end. All the disappointments and struggles that a persevering entrepreneur goes through just ignites the passion of these entrepreneurs. And with Germaine’s success story, it would surely open up the eyes of so many that one can start really small, have to go through an ordeal, and still come out strong and happy in the end.

Reaching at an end’s wit is quite common among entrepreneurs. However, only those who have strong faith in themselves succeed. Regardless of all the sleepless nights restless days, success comes bittersweet. What does Germain say whenever she feels like giving up? “It gives me hope and strength to just push. To fight and see the great future ahead of Adobo Mix Plate. Starting a business is hard, operating is harder, stability is the hardest. But we are still pushing ourselves to improve and be known around the Globe as one of Filipino’s Favorite. With the help of my family and most especially the Will, God will bring us to our goal in His time.”

To be the best entrepreneur, you need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills. And be prepared for the risks and challenges that go with it. To be successful is accepting the challenge and letting everyone know that you did your best and definitely deserve that spot on top. And just like what others would say, “every dog has its day,” and Germaine indeed found hers.

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You may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome for questions and more information.

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