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Fil-Am chef Marge Manzke continues to expand food empire

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Steve Angeles | TFC News Los Angeles

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vclj_9-3HVc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>In less than a decade, Republique has become a staple in the Los Angeles food scene.Bicyclette Bistro, Petty Cash, Manzke, and Sari Sari Store are also among the most celebrated in the area.The food empire is all from the culinary husband and wife team of Walter Manzke and Filipino Margarita Lorenzana Manzke.&quot;We always live in the moment,&quot; said Marge Manzke. &quot;We think about it and reflect once in a while. But really, it&#x27;s an ongoing thing for us.&quot;From a young age, the restaurant industry has been home for Manzke.&quot;It happened naturally,&quot; she said. &quot;We weren&#x27;t forced to work, we just happened to follow our parents to work and then it was in the kitchen and we just naturally started helping.&quot;With the encouragement of her family, Manzke went to the U.S. where she trained at the Culinary Institute of America.After running three concepts in Carmel, California, she and her husband opened up shop in Los Angeles in 2013, beginning with Petty Cash.She then brought extra Filipino flare to LA&#x27;s iconic Grand Central Market with Sari Sari Store.In the past two years, they also opened the Bicyclette Bistro, and the Michelin-starred Manzke.Outside of Los Angeles, Manzke owns and operates 17 Wild Flour locations in the Philippines with the help of her sister Anna.This July, she finally received one of the most coveted awards in the food world — the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Pastry Chef or Baker for Republique.Manzke said the title was a team effort. &quot;It&#x27;s impossible to credit one person for this because it&#x27;s a big team,&quot; she said. &quot;I certainly cannot do it on my own.&quot;With a total of 22 restaurants globally, Manzke said there&#x27;s one motivation that continues when it comes to serving customers.&quot;I want them to feel that when they walk out of the door, they&#x27;re already thinking, &#x27;Okay, when are we coming back here?&#x27; and that&#x27;s always been our goal,&quot; she said.Manzke added: &quot;The goal is how do you make them come back. I think that&#x27;s most important.&quot;

The food empire is all from the culinary husband and wife team of Walter Manzke and Margarita Lorenzana Manzke.