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Lights, Camera, Cook! Marvin Agustin on the surprising similarities between working in the limelight and in the kitchen

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Liezel dela Cruz

We knew Marvin Agustin as Joey, the charming barkada heartthrob in &quot;Gimik.&quot; Then, he swept us away as Ned in &quot;Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang?&quot; and Nelson in &quot;Hey Babe.&quot; From matinee idol to award-winning actor, Marvin captured not just the hearts of fans but also the praise of critics, cementing his place as one of the most talented actors of his generation. But Marvin didn’t stop there. With the same drive and passion that fueled his acting career, he ventured into the culinary world, building a reputation as one of the country’s top restaurateurs. Today, he is as much a household name in food as he is in film, crafting success one dish, and one dream, at a time. <div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="480" referrerPolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0D6-QyM-5h4" title="The B Side with MARVIN AGUSTIN | Cinema One" width="1242"></iframe></div>While many were surprised when he became less visible in showbiz to pursue a career in the food industry, the truth is, food has always been deeply rooted in his story. As a teenager, he worked as a restaurant waiter and even as a mascot, which planted the seeds of his passion for the food business. While serving tables, he often found himself captivated by the work of the restaurant manager—the way they orchestrated the flow of operations, managed a large team, and kept everything running smoothly both in the front and back of the house. To young Marvin, it looked like a complex yet fulfilling challenge, and he knew then that he wanted to be one someday. He even went through managerial training at the time, preparing himself for that goal. But just as his career in the restaurant industry was about to take off, life had other plans. Marvin’s charm and talent catapulted him into the spotlight as one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. Sometimes, the dreams we hold close to our hearts take a back seat because circumstances force us to choose one path over the other. But just because they’re quiet doesn’t mean they’re gone. These dreams linger, and when time comes, when it&#x27;s the right time, they begin to burn again. When he finally had enough savings from his acting projects and found the right opportunity, Marvin revisited his love for food service. But this time, he didn’t just aim to become a manager; he set his sights on something bigger– becoming a restaurant owner. He started by franchising a donut brand he had endorsed. Instead of asking for a monetary talent fee, Marvin requested a franchise of the donut shop, knowing that it would give him the hands-on experience and insight into the operations of a food business. He saw franchising as the easier route, as it came with a ready product and guidance from the brand’s principal, providing him with a solid foundation for his future ventures. “Na-in love ako doon sa service. You are making families happy by serving them,” he smiles. “From the time they come in the restaurant, aasikasuhin mo sila. Ang immediate kasi nu’ng response kung okay o pangit ang ginawa mo, kaya you&#x27;re striving na maganda kasi papasalamatan ka nila at mapaparamdam nila sa&#x27;yo that they had a great time versus sa &#x27;pag mali &#x27;yung service, naku, lagot ka, aawayin ka ng customers,&quot; he says, sharing what he finds fulfilling about food service. And almost twenty years ago, almost at the same time as the birth of his twin sons, Marvin also gave birth to his very first restaurant. The challenges of being a restaurateur have been many, but they&#x27;ve only helped expand his character. &quot;Sabi nga nila, ang negosyo is the reflection of the entrepreneur, so sa dami ng mga pinagdaanan ko at sa dami na rin ng mga milestones ng mga restaurants that I&#x27;ve handled, parang, looking back, mahirap man, pero I felt like I&#x27;ve grown with the brand,&quot; he says with a sense of pride. &quot;You learn so much from the brand. You meet a lot of interesting people along the way, so, ang sarap.&quot; What’s interesting is how Marvin sees similarities between acting and running a food establishment. In his eyes, he’s not just a restaurateur; he’s a “talent manager,” but instead of making stars, he’s helping mold his staff to become the best at what they do. To Marvin, the whole restaurant is like a stage, where the team brings &#x27;performance level&#x27; service once the customers step in, no matter what&#x27;s going on in their personal lives. It&#x27;s all about delivering the perfect ‘show’ for the diners, making sure they leave with a great experience. And just like a big production in front of the camera, hiring people is a real challenge in the restaurant business. One of the things Marvin learned, especially from his first-ever venture, was that just because you have talented people doesn’t mean they should all be together. &quot;Meron ding tamang chemistry. Para ka ring nagca-casting, kasi &#x27;yung personalities at characters nagka-clash,&quot; he shares, emphasizing that building the right team is about finding the right fit. &quot;Kailangan mong hanapin &#x27;yung tamang participation from each one of them. And then, i-assemble mo sila, and then you&#x27;ll have a great team.&quot; As the overall head of the restaurant, he understands that it’s important for both the BOH (back of the house) and FOH (front of the house) to work harmoniously, &quot;Dapat may teamwork.&quot; &quot;You need a competent team. You have to grow with the team,&quot; he stresses. And, yes, as a boss, he knows that firing employees is an inevitable part of the process. &quot;Minsan, you take it personally, nalulungkot ka, and then after a while, it&#x27;s just life. Just like in life, people come and go, not because they&#x27;re not good but just because they&#x27;re not the right fit and they&#x27;re better off somewhere else. The business has other requirements, not just the skills set of that person,&quot; he says. Marvin describes himself as a ‘strict’ boss, &quot;Because it&#x27;s about our customers&#x27; happiness and satisfaction. Lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, the customers are spending their hard-earned money, they&#x27;re trusting us on that particular time. If we won&#x27;t respect that, why are we in this industry?&quot; His commitment to customer service is a core value that he instills in his team. &quot;Doon ako strict kasi I don&#x27;t like disrespecting time and hard-earned money of people.&quot; While some might perceive that being an establishment owner means a more relaxed life, letting the staff do their own thing, Marvin, who’s always been a hands-on team leader, begs to differ. He believes in showing care not just for his customers, but for his staff as well. He&#x27;s all heart and hustle, working 24/7 behind the scenes to oversee every aspect of the business while continuously learning. &quot;You really have to be ready grinding every day. It might look glamorous when it&#x27;s like this, being interviewed, but that&#x27;s just one part of it. Most parts, it&#x27;s all about sleepless nights, solving problems, trying to be proactive,&quot; he admits. One of his biggest challenges early on was figuring out how to make the finance side of his business work. But after years of trial and error, he&#x27;s now mastered the art of balancing the numbers. He’s learned that at the end of the day, it&#x27;s about making sure things are profitable without compromising the core values and &quot;heart&quot; of the business. His typical day at work starts at 7 o&#x27;clock in the morning. As early as that, he’s already training the staff in his restaurant. He believes in the power of being hands-on, knowing that his personal experiences and stories will resonate with his team. “’Pag minotivate ko sila, &#x27;pag sinabi kong, &#x27;This is the proper way to do it,&#x27; they actually listen more. I train the managers and I train the team,” he shares. In fact, during this interview with Bianca Gonzalez for &quot;The B Side,&quot; he mentions that his employees were attending a two-day workshop with him. Marvin knows that leading by example is the best way to inspire his staff. Venturing into a business, especially one as big as a restaurant, isn’t a decision you make on a whim. It’s a calculated move. Like creating films with different genres, Marvin’s restaurants, each with their own unique concept, are a result of careful thought and planning. It all starts with identifying a &#x27;need.&#x27; When Marvin opened his first major restaurant venture, a Japanese concept, he took the time to study the market around a mall in Mandaluyong. He realized that while there were high-end hotels offering Japanese cuisine, there were no affordable options that catered to people’s cravings for Japanese food within the mall itself. The fast food chains were aplenty, but there was nothing interesting in the middle that offered a higher quality dining experience. Seeing this gap in the market, he saw an opportunity to be the first to introduce a Japanese restaurant right inside the mall—an idea that would cater to a growing demand and offer something new to customers. Putting up a restaurant business requires continuous research. And Marvin’s love for travel allows him to expand his knowledge, not only about diverse culinary traditions but also about the nuances of restaurant services around the world. For him, every trip is an opportunity to learn and be inspired. His recent visit to London was one of his favorites, as he observed how the city transformed from having little to no distinct culinary identity into a vibrant melting pot of flavors. This transformation, Marvin believes, happened because they embraced cultural diversity and allowed it to influence their food scene. When dining abroad, Marvin has an eye for the little details that make the experience unforgettable. He&#x27;ll never forget dining at a restaurant in the United States when he visited his son, who was studying there. He ordered a martini, and without asking, the server noticed the glass was no longer chilled and promptly replaced it with one that was—because martinis are best served in a chilled glass. Marvin was impressed, not just by the impeccable service but by how the staff anticipated his needs. This experience taught him the importance of making customers feel truly cared for, even in the smallest ways. Now, he passes this lesson on to his team, especially his bartenders. He believes that paying attention to those little things can make all the difference in customer satisfaction. For Marvin, starting a food business isn’t just about deciding what to serve, but how to deliver the experience. His latest project, a dim sum restaurant, is a perfect example of this. What sets his dim sum apart from the rest in the market is its handmade touch. Unlike the typical mass-produced, machine-made dim sum found in other restaurants, Marvin’s version is crafted from scratch by his skilled kitchen team. He’s not afraid to go the extra mile to ensure that his customers get the best quality possible.