Tagalog Word of the Day: DISKARTE
January 31, 2025
Newsletter #37
resourcefulness, strategy, or ingenuity
“Hindi lang talento ang kailangan para magtagumpay, kundi diskarte rin.”
It's not just talent that’s needed to succeed, but also strategy/resourcefulness.
Hey Readers,
I asked ChatGPT for a topic for this week's newsletter, and it suggested writing about something I know that could help others. Then, while listening to The Knowledge podcast, a guest said something that stuck with me: Write to one person.
So this week, I’m writing to you.
Maybe you're a little lost. A little unsure. But you know—deep down—you want to open a restaurant. You don’t have money, connections, or industry cred, and you’re wondering if it’s even possible. I’ve been there. And I’m here to tell you: it is.
Now, my advice isn’t built for the digital age. It’s not about social media growth hacks or a get-rich-quick formula. If you think opening a small restaurant will make you rich overnight, you're mistaken. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be lucrative in the long run.
This newsletter is for the dreamers, the worker bees, and the ones who know there are no shortcuts—just the willingness to show up, do the work, and take the plunge anyway.
Cheers to you.
Keep building,
Nicole.
How I Built a Critically Acclaimed Filipino Restaurant with Just $10,000
So many people dream of opening a restaurant. In NYC, the average budget to open is at least $750,000—but what if you only had $10,000? That’s exactly what I had when I built my first Filipino restaurant, Maharlika. No safety net. No big-time investors. Just an unwavering belief that Filipino food deserved to be seen, tasted, and celebrated.
And the odds? They were stacked against me.
90% of restaurants in NYC close within their first year. 75% of those remaining close in year two. At that time, there were a handful of female restaurant owners, and Filipino food was barely a blip on the city’s culinary radar—an afterthought in a dining scene dominated by European and East Asian cuisines. I wasn’t just opening a restaurant; I was carving out space where none had existed before.
So how did I do it?
If you’re dreaming of opening your own spot…(or maybe you know someone who does)
If you don’t have deep pockets…
And if you’re willing to do the actual work…
Here are five things that helped me turn my vision into reality.
1. I Was Crystal Clear About My Intentions
I didn’t just say, “I want to open a restaurant.” I said:
"I want to create the first commercially and critically successful Filipino restaurant in New York City—one that kicks down the door for Filipinos and creates a pathway for others."
That clarity shaped every decision, every opportunity, and every person I brought into the journey.
Commercial success meant the numbers had to make sense—profitability–and that meant butts in seats, as they say in the streets.
Critical success meant the food, the experience, and the brand had to feel electric—something that diners, the press, and the cultural zeitgeist would recognize and celebrate.
This single mission informed my creative briefs, business plan, and even the way I spoke about the brand.
2. I Told Everyone—Even the Doubters
If you had ears and a pulse, I was talking to you about my vision.
I pitched random people in line for coffee.
I told the person sitting next to me at a nail salon.
I even talked about it with my fishmonger.
Some people doubted me. I vividly remember Petr, a bartender I worked with, mockingly saying, “Oh sure, Nicole. You wanna open a restaurant, right? When are you gonna open—2013?”
It was 2008. I opened in 2011.
At first, I felt silly. Crestfallen, even. But I learned two things:
Get comfortable with doubters. Most of the time, they’re just doubting themselves.
Never let the opinions of others dictate your next move.
I got really comfortable refining and repeating my vision—so much so that by 2011, it had become second nature. One day, while sharing my idea with a friend, a random man overheard our conversation and mentioned that he had a restaurant space available. By Friday, we did a walkthrough. By Saturday, I had the keys in my hand.
You never know.
3. Instead of Getting Defensive, I Got Curious
Being defensive is the #1 killer of growth. It shuts down dialogue, blinds you to valuable feedback, and keeps you stuck in your own limited perspective. It’s natural to want to prove yourself, defend your ideas, or push back against skepticism, but I quickly realized that resistance wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
When faced with doubt, I didn’t argue—I listened. Why do they doubt this? What am I missing? What can I learn?
At first, it stung. When someone questions you, it can feel personal, like they’re saying you’re not good enough, your idea is weak, you won’t make it. But I had to reframe that discomfort. What if their doubt wasn’t an attack, but a map—pointing me toward my blind spots? Instead of seeing skepticism as a challenge to my credibility, I treated it as an invitation to refine my thinking. (Pro-Tip: When someone doubts you, it often reveals more about the other person's own limitations rather than your potential.)
Being defensive is often a sign of immaturity or insecurity. It’s a knee-jerk reaction that stops growth before it even begins. But curiosity? Curiosity opens doors. Instead of being insulted, I learned to separate ego from opportunity. I focused on the words being said, not the tone they were said in and trained myself to ask better questions.
Why do they think this won’t work?
What do they see that I don’t?
If I had to convince them, what proof would I need?
I started treating criticism as free market research. If someone doubted my ability to open a restaurant, I asked myself: What specifically am I missing? Do I need more financial planning? A stronger proof of concept? A better network? Instead of proving people wrong, I focused on proving myself right—with better execution, better preparation, and better adaptability.
Curiosity turned doubt into data. And data made me sharper, smarter, and better prepared for every challenge ahead.
“Pop Up restaurants storm NYC” @Jay Cheshes
4. I Made Every Dollar Count
With just $10,000, I had to be ruthlessly resourceful.
Instead of fancy décor, I focused on small design elements that set the vibe.
Instead of hiring fast, I learned every role—so if I needed to bartend, I could make a killer martini.
I negotiated my first deal with a French restaurant in the East Village that was closed on Saturdays and Sundays brunch. I asked if I could use their space for brunch—our first pop-up.
By our third weekend, we had lines around the block in the middle of January. No social media. No PR. Just Strategy, Audience, and Product.
The term “pop-up” wasn’t even mainstream yet—TimeOut later credited our little restaurant community as part of the movement. Karl Lagerfeld eventually had a “pop-up” in NYC—and I knew we had made an impact.
Every challenge forced me to find an opportunity—and that mindset made all the difference.
Poster from my first pop-up.
I was 19 years old when I started on this path, and it all began at the public library. I pored over every book I could find—How to Open a Restaurant, The Restaurant Start-Up Guide—as if they held some secret formula. But the more I read, the clearer it became: there is no single roadmap.
Do you get the money first or secure the space first? Do you build the brand or build the business? The books could only go so far—most people were just making it up as they went along. The only thing that was certain was that I had to make my own path.
And one thing I can tell you: I worked my ass off.
While my friends were spending their weekends sipping cosmos in the Hamptons, hooking up at house parties, or recovering from their wild nights, I was scrubbing toilets, answering phones, and learning the restaurant business from the ground up. By day, I was rising through the ranks in advertising. By night and on weekends, I was in restaurants—watching, working, absorbing everything.
In the age of social media, you see the highlight reels of success—the grand openings, the glowing press, the New York Times write-ups. And yes, there are those who stumble into success. But I knew that was never going to be my trajectory.
So if you’re waiting for permission—stop. Roll up your sleeves. Find your own way. Nobody is going to hand it to you. And when you finally get there, you’ll know: you built it, and no one can take that away.
👉🏽 Watch the OneDown Media YouTube video "Why Isn’t Filipino Food Popular?" to hear more about the rise of Filipino food in America.
What’s holding you back from your big idea? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Keep building,
Nicole
In The Press
Why isn't Filipino Food more popular?
Thank you to OneDown Media for the spotlight on Filipino Food and including me.
America hasn't always understood Filipino flavors... but now, that seems to be changing in favor of Filipino chefs, restaurants, and food entrepreneurs!
This video is presented by Dear Flor, a Filipina-owned company that has introduced the WORLD's FIRST line of Filipino Garden Gummies.
Tagalog Word of the Day: DISKARTE
January 31, 2025
Newsletter #37