How Ryan Bang's businesses are connected to him and his loved ones
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Ryan Bang may be known as one of the funny hosts of the long-running noontime show It's Showtime. But when it comes to his businesses, he is earnest.
The 32-year-old celebrity showed his different personality as a businessman in a short chat with GMANetwork.com and other select entertainment media. This was held recently at his newly opened fine-dining Korean restaurant Paldo in Scout Santiago, Quezon City.
According to Ryan, the uncertainty caused by the COVID pandemic pushed him to find other ways to earn money.
He recalled, “I started December 2020 kasi wala akong work nun, e. Di ba, nagsara na ang ABS-CBN noon? So, sabi ko, baka gusto na ni Lord na i-proceed yung dream ko na maging businessman.”
Ryan's mom's kimchi recipe inspired his very first business venture.
He related, “During the pandemic, naisip ko ang nanay ko. Humingi ako ng recipe, 'Mommy, paano gumawa ng kimchi.' Kasi, narinig ko sa balita na [ang] kimchi is very good [to fight] COVID, for immune system. So, nag-start ako ng Jaba Kimchi. Nagbebenta ako ng kimchi, nagpadala ako sa mga It's Showtime host, mga ka-close ko. Nagpo-post sila, so dumadami ang benta.”
Later, Ryan thought of expanding his business and started DuCup which offers a variety of Korean rice bowls.
“Naisip ko rin na baka magtampo ang daddy ko,” Ryan said about his second business.
According to Ryan, DuCup was inspired by his and his dad's bonding moments when he was young in South Korea.
“Daddy ko is a taxi driver sa Korea. So, noong bata ako, dinadala niya ako sa Noryangjin, sikat sa Seoul 'yan. There's a cup rice street there. E, siyempre, ang mga Pilipino, ako rin Pilipino, mahilig sa libre. So, ang ibig sabihin ng du cup we will choose the rice then, we will put our additional [toppings] Korean-style. 'Tapos, may free drinks. So, when I go there, I choose rice, 'tapos gusto ko bulgogi, and free drinks.”
Since his first two businesses were connected to his parents, Ryan thought about opening another business that would reflect his interest.
“Ako naman, ano ba ang nagpapasaya sa akin? Mahilig ako mag-mani-pedicure, hindi ako maggagala kapag pangit yung buhok ko. Pilipino rin ako, e, dito ako lumaki. Di ba, kapag may gala, kapag may event, dapat maganda ang hair? So, nag-start ako ng salon,” said Ryan.
New business venture
Ryan seemed to have enjoyed owning multiple businesses that he started up another venture early this year, an authentic Korean fine dining restaurant called Paldo.
This time, the It's Showtime host took inspiration from his date nights with his girlfriend Paola Huyong.
Ryan recalled, “Nakilala ko ang fine dining because I met Paola. Before, I don't know naman fine dining. When we dated, napakagastos pala, umiiyak ako. So, I made fine dining na pang-date din talaga.”
He added in jest, “Baka maubos pera ko sa dates namin. Magtayo na lang ako para dito na lang kami mag-date.”
Then, he went on to say that he's putting up businesses because he wanted to give job opportunities to Filipinos.
“Lahat may meaning, hindi lang ako basta-basta magnegosyo. Marami namang opportunity, pero ayaw kong magnegosyo para lang sa pera, e. May pera, kumikita ka talaga kasi hindi naman 'to charity talaga. Pero less na lang kitain mo, pero more Filipinos ang may [job opportunity]. Kailangan talaga i-share mo yung blessings. So, I give them chance to work, share yung suweldo, di ba?” he said.
But the funny guy warned the public, “Akala ng mga tao mayaman na ako talaga. It's a start up talaga, so I'm trying very hard.
At Paldo, Ryan wants to give customers an authentic Korean fine dining experience. So, he and his partners convinced a South Korean chef Sam Kim to work in the Philippines.
Ryan boasted about Paldo's master chef, “Sikat talaga siya na chef. Hindi siya basta-basta. At saka may mga restaurant siya sa Busan kasi he's from Busan talaga. Marami siyang experience on fine dining and authentic traditional food.
“In-explain namin sa kanya na sa Pilipinas sikat ang Korean food, pero wala talagang authentic. Akala ng mga Pilipino, ng mga kababayan natin, samgyupsal talaga. We brought him here para maraming Pilipino ang magkakaroon ng chance to experience talaga ng authentic Korean traditional food, na affordable.”
According to Ryan, Paldo customers will be treated like royals with their surasang, which are meals served for kings and queens in South Korea.
“Maganda yung Paldo kasi ibig sabihin eight provinces ng Korean. These are royal foods, ito yung mga kinakain ng mga royal family kasi mayroon kaming king and queen dati. When we eat the meal, dapat yung mga dishes from eight provinces. From Jeju, Seoul… meron kaming fishes from Jeollanam-do, Busan, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeonggi-do… So, lahat ng 'do,' eight 'do' kaya Paldo. First, we will serve the appetizers. Then, we will serve all the food from eight provinces,” he explained.
The Korean restaurant offers Chef's Meal worth PhP850 per person. This consists of briquettes bulgogi, soybean paste or cheonggukjang, colong ssamjan and modum ssamjang, and 13 kinds of side dishes.
It also offers premium lunch menu that starts at PhP390 (Cheonggukjang) up to PhP1,250 (Modeum Boiled Pork). Recently, Paldo added Jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) on its menu.
It also has a variety of premium side menu that include Hot Pot Stew (Korean Shabu-Shabu), Seoul-Style Bulgogi, Pork Belly Meat on a Stone Plate: 850.00, and Soy Sauce Marinated Crab and Shrimp Sauce.
Since this is the newest venture, Ryan is very hands-on in managing Paldo, along with his business partners. In fact, after It's Showtime, the celebrity entrepreneur goes straight to his restaurant on Scout Santiago, Diliman, Quezon City, to supervise its operation.
He shared, “Sa business talaga, araw-araw may problema. Good or bad, big or small, araw-araw something's coming up talaga. You have to handle it very well. Kapag na-handle mo ang problema mo araw-araw… ang hirap ng food business kasi masarap ka for a year 'tapos one day di ka masarap, di na babalik ang customers mo. Last memory 'yon, di na babalik talaga.
“Kaya hindi talaga pwede na ang iniisip mo pera lang. You have to make your customers happy. So, gusto ko talaga affordable yung pay. Hindi kailangan malaki yung natira sa amin. Kahit maliit lang basta tuluy-tuloy lang.”
The celebrity businessman is just grateful that his popularity helped expand his business.
“I'm doing my best. Sa pag-aarista, alam kong medyo marami akong kulang. Sa negosyo, siguro may talent din ako dito. Four years na, sana sa awa ng Diyos, magtuluy-tuloy pa rin,” he concluded.
MEANWHILE, HERE ARE OTHER CELEBRITIES WHO STARTED A BUSINESS DURING THE PANDEMIC:
