When you are clear with your ‘why’ – all else goes down easier, at least according to Bryant Dee, 28-year-old, restaurateur, and owner of Fat Seed. For despite the many setbacks brought by the pandemic, Dee was still able to adapt, pivoting his business, and opening a new branch in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) just last January 2021. His purpose was clear. He wanted to create a community similar to the one he belonged to during his college days in Taft.
When asked about his passions though, you’d be surprised at how this coffee shop owner isn’t so passionate about roasting coffee. While although he went through some training, his true passion is interaction–good company, meaningful conversations, and creating memories beyond the photos one posts “for the ‘gram”. In this generation of crazed social media, Dee (who has no Instagram account), knew that he wanted his business to promote the beauty of interacting with people. In his Miami Beach-inspired restaurant creates a friendly space where customers are welcome to chat with one another, share stories, and vibe through music. Dee shares: “I love the people here. We’ve created a community. I know so many of them by name, I know their dogs’ names or their cats. I hang out with them. We sit at the same table. We have drinks together also,” he gushes, continuing, “That’s the thing most restaurants are missing– proper community building.” He brings up that people go to the gym, and it is common to strike up conversations with anyone. Bryant envisions something similar to this beautiful community.
Recreating this is in no small part, based on his menu.
FAT SEED MENU
“When I was in college, I would always drink in the same bar where everyone knew each other and it was a beautiful feeling,” shares Bryant, who knew it was time to share this experience…through his food.
In general Fat Seed’s menu has no boundaries. They don’t play by the rules. Chef Pierre Ivan Tan prepares food that goes beyond the ordinary. His bestsellers include Hotate Soy Cream Pasta, a soy cream-based pasta that is a fusion of Italian and Japanese flavours. “It’s like a mix of pasta and California Maki.” They’re proud of this unique and interesting flavour profile because they like to go beyond the rules when it comes to creating their dishes. Another crowd favorite is the TFS Signature Porkchop; definitely a must-try with flavours of beer brine and homemade miso sauce. One customer-inspired item is their famous “poke bowl.” He likes to sell the hassle. “If it’s easy to make, people won’t dine in.”
They also sell specialty drinks made with the finest ingredients. Dee explains the three main coffee consumers he aims to serve: experts, the general public, and those who use coffee as a tool. He explains that the way to serve all three lies within the coffee ingredients. He doesn’t cut back on the cost of ingredients because quality ingredients make quality food. Good music, fine coffee, and a well-thought-of food menu make Fat Seed a great place to chill, unwind, and visit when you want something different.
PIVOT DURING THE PANDEMIC
As Bill Geppert, general manager of Cox Cable, says, “Take care of your people, and the business takes care of itself.” It wasn’t smooth sailing to pivot amidst the pandemic but Bryant’s first priority was the safety of his employees. Dee recalls personally picking up his employees and bringing them home for four months until he felt it was safer to commute using public transportation. Additionally, Dee didn’t let go of any of his employees because he knew the importance of job security during a time of crisis. He was thankful that they left on their own to choose personal safety. He then eventually got into a position to hire more as he opened his BGC branch earlier this year.
Another challenge he encountered during the lockdown was the losses incurred from their UP Town Center (UPTC) branch that was closed for two months during the start of 2020. This branch suffered greatly since most of their customers were students and face-to-face classes have been closed for almost a year now. However, Dee managed to push through and keep going. The newly opened branch located on the 9th avenue of BGC was what helped him pivot his business and thrive.
In 2019, he had made an investment in a spot in BGC. During the start of this year, Dee was able to open this branch, and thankfully enough, this Fat Seed is thriving. He calls this a result of luck and good karma. His next challenge is acquiring vaccines for his employees. “These people put their life on the line for my business and giving them vaccines is just a simple act of gratitude,” Dee explains.
HIS HUMBLE DREAMS AND MESSAGE TO ASPIRING RESTAURATEURS
When asked about his future plans, he humbly says that his vision for the brand is to simply last forever. He wants to continue to bring the sense of community he loves wherever he plans to expand and put up another Fat Seed store. He prefers to have a few branches with a strong community instead of over a hundred branches that he can’t be hands-on in since this is what his business is about: interaction. His message to aspiring restaurateurs: show up every day. “Despite hard days, never give up and show up. We like things easy and when things are hard, we tend to take the easy route and just rest. However, we become stronger and grow when we learn how to bounce back from challenges.”
Bryant Dee proves that luck favors the prepared mind. With a clear purpose, compassion for others, and a pleasant attitude to solving problems, thriving during the pandemic is not impossible. May we continue to support small and medium enterprises like Fat Seed during this time of crisis.
Fat Seed UPTC is open from 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM and the BGC branch is open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. You may also order through Grab and Food Panda.
Connect with Bryant, Brenna, and The Fat Seed crew through their Instagram page.
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