127: The Situation Leads The Way with Chef Vince Garcia

Good Mornings with Nicole and Prax

This is episode 127 with the animated Chef Vince Garcia.

Today, we share a meaningful conversation with Leonard Vincent Garcia or Chef Vince, as he is widely known.

Chef Vince is the owner of multiple restaurants - Rainforest Kichene, En Croute Cafe, Velvet Ganache Boulangerie & Patisserie, and their newly opened venture together with his cousin Enzo - Pick and Go Meatshop.

Chef Vince is a graduate of B.S in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Systems Plus College Foundation in Angeles City. To elevate his culinary skills, he took lifestyle classes under Chef Henry Sison, and later pursued a Diploma in Boulangerie Arts and Patisserie at the Lyceum of the Philippines University under master baker Chef Dan Basillio.

Chef Vince is a finalist of the 2017 INJAP SIA Young Entrepreneurs in 2017. He is an active member of the Young Entrepreneur’s of Pampanga and the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce.

He has been featured in various magazines such as Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Magazine and Lifestyle Magazine and in TV shows such as Kris Aquino's KRIS TV, GMA News TV MARS and recently Ms. Kara David's PINASARAP.

In this episode we talk about,

- The story of hardship when his parents separated and how he turned it into a positive experience

- His story on selling pandesal and being a ball boy in a tennis court

- The story on how a Jollibee food crew eventually became a restauranteur

- How losing to a culinary competition led him to pursue his craft in cooking

- How asking questions is a pivotal moment in his entrepreneurial journey

- How his success in the food business is not just about the recipe but about the stories he shares with his patrons

- The story on how he met his biggest mentor

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with the animated Chef Vince Garcia.