Melissa Miranda is a chef who owns a restaurant, Musang, which opened in early January. Once the pandemic hit, instead of laying off all her staff and cutting back on menu items she decided to reformulate her whole approach to dining. To Melissa, the community always came first to her and she felt that her restaurant could be transformed into a community kitchen.
Melissa found growing up as Filipino women at times challenging. Her family had very few options of where they could go to get the ingredients for their traditionally Filipino dishes. When she returned to her hometown after studying as a chef in Florence, Italy for 6 years she realized that those few options her family had when she was little, had turned into one option, the store Foulee. The use of observation is very clear here. Melissa never forgot where she came from and wanted to fill a need for her community. She could’ve left and started her restaurant anywhere else, but instead, she came back home and realized there was an opportunity for her to do what she loved while giving back to her hometown. Melissa started out with doing pop-ups and was able to cook authentic Filipino food for those who had never tried it before. Many of the Filipinx people in her neighborhood said the food tasted just how they remembered and loved it in combination with the music and dancing also offered. This reminded me of the architecture movie and how Frank Gehry always accepted criticism and was able to mold his creations based on how people reacted. Melissa is able to adapt to what people want while still expressing her own unique ideas.
She opened her restaurant, Musang(a tribute to her father), in January of 2020. A few months later covid hit and she decided to do takeout only, before the stay-at-home order for the safety of her employees. Everyone who works in the kitchen has a say in what goes on the menu. This shows the collaboration portion fo her creativity and being able to put other ideas into action without letting go fo her own. Her restaurant is a platform not just for her, but for everyone that works there to try out their ideas and hopefully have a restaurant of their own. Melissa wants Musang to be the last place all of her employees work before they open up their own restaurant or business. She teaches them about 401k plans and gives them benefits, despite the pandemic. She also divides tips by hours so that way pay is more uniform across employees in the front and back of house. Two days a week the restaurant makes free meals on a first-come-first-serve basis to those who need it in the community. 75% of their online orders include donations which helps them continue operating the community kitchen and paying the employees.
One of her biggest influences was her environment. She grew up watching her father cook Filipino dishes and enjoyed helping him in the kitchen. Her family supported her after she received her bachelors degree in sociology and went to Florence to pursue her culinary dreams. Melissa wouldn’t be the chef and person she is without her family and community supporting her and now Melissa hopes to do the same so that she can help the future of hospitality get wherever their dreams might take them.
https://stories.zagat.com/posts/melissa-miranda-on-creating-community-around-filipino-cooking
Simone,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post! I feel as though it is often easy to overlook that individuals who run restaurants can be creative because there are so many aspects. Many chefs are creative in their components or presentations of food. However, I admire how Melissa conquers the business world as well, and seeks to combine cultural traditions, innovation, and goodness of heart into her practices.
Melissa is not only individually driven, but feeds off of the support from her family and peers. The philanthropic duties her restaurant displays would not be possible without the collaboration of her staff. It seems to me that her staff is as creative as Melissa herself; it takes much dedication and courage to uphold the selfless standards that Musang presents.
I actually looked up the restaurant's website, and it greatly displays all of the aspects mentioned your blog. The homepage explains the restaurant's hospitable environment and roots in filipino culture. Furthermore, and what I found most interesting, is that there is a donation section at the bottom. This will allow for both external donations and donations taken off of orders. Melissa is truly a creative figure and I loved learning about her!
I really enjoyed reading about Melissa Miranda! I love that she has her employees help determine the menu of her restaurant. This is a great way to foster the development of their creativity. Her dedication to helping her employees thrive is something I have never seen before, and I think it is awesome that she encourages them to open up restaurants of their own! I also think that it is wonderful that she is motivated to help her community because she received support from them. Her incorporation of collaboration in every aspect of her work is truly incredible.
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