AS THE Philippine food and hospitality industry grapples with rising costs, talent shortages and shifting consumer expectations, one institution is quietly expanding its role outside the classroom.
Culinary Center of Asia (CCA) Manila, long regarded as the country’s top culinary school, recently marked its 29th year with a strategic shift, launching the first-ever CCA Connect Bootcamp – a one-day intensive designed not for students, but for working professionals navigating the realities of today’s restaurant and hospitality business.
Held at Brittany Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, the bootcamp brought together restaurant owners, chefs, managers, and emerging leaders for a full day of discussions on leadership, service design, and operational discipline, underscoring how hospitality today is shaped by systems, culture, and consistency as much as by craft.
The program forms part of CCA Connect, a new initiative designed to strengthen community ties and encourage knowledge-sharing across the industry. After nearly three decades focused on culinary education, CCA Manila is positioning itself as a collaboration hub for hospitality professionals seeking practical tools and peer support.
“This bootcamp came from repeated conversations with restaurant owners. They told us they needed people, they needed training, and they needed support. CCA Connect brings everyone together not just to learn from speakers, but from one another. It’s about breaking the culture of gatekeeping and raising standards collectively,” said CCA Manila communications director Ana Beatrice Trinidad.
Practical learning
Unlike traditional conferences heavy on inspirational speeches, the CCA Connect Bootcamp was intentionally hands-on, where participants were encouraged to challenge ideas, share operational pain points, and develop action plans they could immediately apply back at work.
Trinidad said the initiative reflects CCA Manila’s evolving identity. Once defined primarily as a culinary school, the institution is now responding to an industry that demands deeper, more sustained engagement. Through CCA Connect, CCA Manila is expanding its role into leadership development, operational thinking, and meaningful peer collaboration.
One session featured a candid conversation with Ryan Cruz, president and CEO of Nippon Hasha Group, the company behind Mendokoro Ramenba, Ramen Yushoken, and other popular concepts. Renowned for his focus on experiential dining, Cruz spoke openly about the pressures of leadership, the trade-offs that come with growth, and the role of “guest obsession” in sustaining a business, urging operators to value criticism more than praise.
“We read the one-star reviews more than the five-star ones. The five stars tell you what you already know. The one stars show you where the opportunities are,” Cruz said.
Growth via feedback
Another highlight came from the leadership team behind acclaimed restaurants Hapag and Ayà – Chef Thirdy Dolatre, Chef John Kevin Navoa, and service director Erin Recto. Fresh from Hapag’s first Michelin star and Recto’s Michelin Service Award, the trio made it clear that recognition was never the starting point.
Their success, they said, rests on a culture-first philosophy that prioritizes team well-being, accountability, and a distinctly personal form of Filipino hospitality.
“We didn’t build a restaurant that chases stars. We built one where people actually want to work – where they eat together and look out for each other,” they said.
Recto described front-of-house service as being the “best picture frame to a chef’s work of art,” where every detail supports the overall dining experience.
Behind the scenes
Throughout the training, participants learned that hospitality is not defined by food, ambiance, or awards alone. It is shaped by the invisible work of rigorous training, strong systems, humility, and daily discipline that sustains consistency and excellence.
“Great dining experiences are created long before the guest sits down. Our goal is to give professionals both inspiration and operational tools to build sustainable hospitality,” Trinidad said.
The inaugural bootcamp underscored CCA Manila’s deeper, more deliberate role in the hospitality ecosystem, as the pioneer in culinary education expands its support for operators, teams, and future leaders far beyond the kitchen.
“This is just the beginning. What we saw today is an industry that wants community over competition, systems over guesswork, and conversations that genuinely move us forward,” Trinidad said, adding that CCA Manila plans to roll out more CCA Connect programs in 2026, including additional bootcamps, workshops, and industry meetups.
