Pacific Hut - The Story Behind Calgary’s Iconic Filipino Restaurant

By Abel Pagaling

What makes a great restaurant experience? Is it the food? Is it the people that run the business? Or is it the culture it represents? Before I dive into these questions, let me take you back several weeks ago when my fellow TFCC partners Mr. Brent and Hanes Anotado met with Mr. Ronald Ala, owner of the Pacific Hut Restaurant in Calgary. When entered the restaurant at 17^th Avenue SE Calgary, we were warmly greeted by one of the waiters who ushered us to our table. A few minutes later, Mr. Ala began to tell us the story of how the restaurant came to be.

Pacific Hut, like many successful businesses, had a humble beginning. Back in 2005, Mr. Ala and a few friends thought of starting a restaurant that made good Filipino food. Like most Filipinos, Mr. Ala and his friends enjoyed potlucks, so they envisioned a place where people can order "ulam" or a dish and then go on their way. With this mind, Mr. Ala and his friends looked for a place to turn their concept into reality. After exploring several places, they found a small space in 17th Avenue SE. which was once a Vietnamese restaurant. It was in this small space where Pacific Hut was born.  

It wasn’t easy at the start.  Pacific Hut’s sale on its first day was $67.  “We just did it,” said Mr. Ala.  “We were scared at first.  When we started, we offered Vietnamese food.”  But three weeks later, Mr. Ala and his partners went back to their original vision of serving authentic Filipino foods.  “My partners and I were all cooks with different specialties.  We want to offer the authentic food from different regions of the Philippines to represent Filipino cuisines as a whole,” said Mr. Ala.  Several months later, Pacific Hut’s sale picked-up as its reputation for authentic Filipino food began to spread in the city.

As Pacific Hut’s followers grew, so did the demand to expand the restaurant’s space.  Mr. Ala and his partners took out a bank loan to expand their restaurant space.  But growth has its challenges.  In 2009, sales began to decline, and recession hit the economy.  “We struggled to pay our suppliers.  We wanted to sell the restaurant,” said Mr. Ala.  “We had potential buyers, but they priced us too low. So we decided to go on.  And to improve sales, we listened to our customers.”  Mr. Ala, along with his staff, looked closely at the various feedback the restaurant received, which were both positive and negative, and changed their operation based on the responses.  Sure enough, their efforts paid off, and sales began to grow again.  By 2010, Pacific Hut reached $900,000 in sales.  Currently, their sales are in the 7 figures.

Pacific Hut is now an established Filipino Restaurant in Calgary thanks to their “people first” approach which aimed to put their customers first, according to Mr. Ala.  “We made a lot of mistakes,” Mr. Ala admitted, “but we talked to customers, and we corrected our mistakes.  We listen to all the complaints and find ways to improve.”  Listening to Mr. Ala talk about the improvements they’ve made gave me a sense of how much the restaurant cared about its customers.  

Mr. Ala’s vision of what Pacific Hut is all about is also very inspiring.  “We want Pacific Hut to be a place where you can take your non-Filipino friends and coworkers and make them proud of our culture and food,” said Mr. Ala. And to make this a reality, Pacific Hut remodeled the restaurant to give it a distinct Filipino feel.  The entire restaurant feels like a Filipino cultural center where the Filipino images and the Filipino food immerse the customers to a proud and beautiful Filipino culture.  The combination of culture, authentic Filipino food, and great customer service give diners a wonderful Filipino restaurant experience!

When I asked Mr. Ala about Pacific Hut’s continued success, he pointed me back to their restaurant employees.  “We have a family approach,” said Mr. Ala.  “We have a staff outing each year. We’re very focused on our people because we know that they are the ones who make and serve great food.  We give our staff a reason not to leave.  Our staff have excellent employee benefits.  Our slogan is Great People, Great Food, Great Place!”  

Today, Pacific Hut employs 40 staff, including students who work part-time.  I interviewed one of the staff, Ms. Lexinne Avinante. She’s a second year student at Mount Royal University.  She’s been with the restaurant for 5 years.  “This place is like a family to me,” said Lexinne.  “The management act like friends, not bosses.  We have monthly meetings, open sessions where we can bring up or talk about anything we want to improve or how to improve.  It’s a great environment to work in.”  Lexinne smiles as she talks about their yearly outings, and Christmas parties.

When I first visited Pacific Hut several years ago, it was just a small place with only a few tables.  All I could remember was the “Crispy Pata” that I enjoyed very much. But I had no idea that this tiny restaurant would become as big of a success as it is now.  I guess it’s true that hard work pays off.  Here’s one thing that Mr. Ala said that stuck with me, “We always work hard.  If we can work hard for non-Filipino owned businesses, why can’t we do it in our own business?”  It is this Filipino determination to work hard and bring out the best is the reason why Pacific Hut is a well-known and highly respected Filipino restaurant today.

Mr. Ron Ala of Pacific Hut with TFCC Team Leads (Abel, Brent, Hanes)

So what makes a great restaurant experience? Is it the food? Is it the people that run the business? Or is it the culture it represents?  I say it’s a balance of all three – food, people, and culture.  Pacific Hut is a restaurant that gives this perfect balance, allowing each guest that comes in to the restaurant a wonderful Filipino cuisine experience that is sure to keep them wanting to come back for more.  Personally, I can’t wait to come back and enjoy the Pacific Hut experience all over again.

About the Author

Abel Pagaling is the TFCC Communication Lead. He manages a team of business analysts with a major Canadian insurance company. He is also an entrepreneur, a writer, a community servant, and a motivational speaker. He is passionate about personal development and leadership.

Email: abel.pagaling@gmail.com
Twitter: @abel_pagaling
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abelpagaling1