How This Italian Restaurant Made the Journey From Baguio to Manila and Beyond

Cracking the Manila dining scene isn’t easy, but this Baguio-based Italian restaurant made it happen.

Expanding from Metro Manila to the provinces is a familiar move for many businesses. Quite a few have grown their reach—heading north through Luzon and south to cities like Cebu and Davao. 

It’s far less typical, however, for a provincial business to make its mark and flourish in Metro Manila. Breaking into the Metro can be especially tough for restaurants and cafés, given the intense competition from well-established local brands and global franchises already dominating the dining scene.

Daunting as it is, a number of businesses have taken the leap—making their way from the provinces to Metro Manila via land, sea, and the city’s congested roads. Among them is Amare La Cucina.

From its humble roots in Baguio, this Italian restaurant has grown its footprint to include Metro Manila, Tagaytay, and La Union.

Armed with a Handmade Brick Oven and a Loan from Dad 

Starting a restaurant business wasn’t originally in the cards for Amare La Cucina founder Edmark Bustos.

Bustos was a former nurse. “My early life was far from anything culinary,” he says in an interview with The Business Manual. “But I always had this desire to create something of my own—something with heart.” 

In 2012, he found inspiration in celebrity chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver’s passion and storytelling, igniting a dream of his own. Food, after all, had always been the love language at home. Italian cuisine, in particular, and its famed pizzas “felt like the perfect canvas to express warmth, togetherness, and flavor,” adds Bustos.

Though the name Amare is a portmanteau of the Bustos siblings’ names—Alvin, Marianne, and Edmark—Amare la cucina itself translates to “to love the kitchen” in Italian. This translation mirrors the passion Bustos brought into his business.

“The woodfire pizza experience is slow, intentional, and emotional, much like the kind of life I wanted to live,” he explains. “I also noticed there weren’t many authentic, artisanal Italian restaurants in Baguio at that time. I wanted to fill that gap—but with soul.”

A year later, Bustos took that all-important move to make that dream a reality. He made the first step. 

“I built a brick oven by hand in our old family home in Baguio, armed with nothing but YouTube tutorials, grit, and a Php100,000 loan from my father,” he recalls. “I had no culinary background, but I had heart. That’s how the journey began.” 

Seeing the Gap in the Market 

Bustos filled a gap in Baguio’s dining scene. While the city already offered great food, he felt there was a lack of interactive and emotionally engaging dining experiences; something that brought people together in a warm, memorable way. This was, in part, what drove him to open Amare La Cucina in 2013.

“I saw the opportunity to create a place where families could gather, make their own pizzas, and slow down,” he tells The Business Manual. “We also committed to using local produce like Cordilleran herbs, guanciale, and even strawberries—combining Filipino identity with Italian flavor. That mix was something new and deeply personal.” 

Amare La Cucina started small, literally in the comforts of the Bustos household. He recalls how he and his friends personally knocked down the walls of his family’s ancestral home to create space for diners.

“I used salvaged wood and old equipment,” he adds. “I had no investors, no big capital. Just faith, creativity, and a lot of sweat equity.”

The woodfire experience eventually allowed Amare La Cucina to stand out in the market, along with the free pizza-making experience that it offered to customers. This paved the way for an authentic, interactive experience that guests enjoyed. 

“In Baguio, the cool weather pairs perfectly with comfort food. Our customers make their own pizzas, watch it cook in our pugon, and connect with each other while they wait,” Bustos explains. “That experience—plus our use of local ingredients and storytelling—made the concept sustainable and scalable.”

The Idea of Expanding 

Despite Amare La Cucina experiencing great success in Baguio, the thought of going beyond the comforts of his hometown initially did not cross the mind of its owner. For Bustos, all he wanted to do was “to create something meaningful in my hometown.”

“But after we gained traction, customers started asking for branches in Manila, La Union, and other places. That’s when I realized the concept resonated beyond just Baguio,” he says. “The demand pulled us outward.”

What ultimately gave him the encouragement to expand were the social media messages asking when Amare La Cucina would find its way to Metro Manila. From there, Bustos, his family, and his team decided to take that leap of faith. Amare La Cucina opened its first Metro Manila branch in Kapitolyo, Pasig, in 2017, four years after it launched in Baguio.

“The idea was to test if our small-town soul could thrive in a big-city market,” he explains. “We wanted to prove that authenticity—when done right—can cut through the noise of commercialism.” 

Is Metro Manila Worth the Shot?

It didn’t take long for the team to notice the differences between Baguio and Metro Manila. The latter, according to Bustos, is “faster, more competitive, and more expensive.”

“People were used to big brands, tighter schedules, and trends,” he points out. “In Baguio, people stayed longer. They lingered. So we had to tweak operations, speed up service, and train our team to deliver that same warmth even in a fast-paced setting.”

Given these differences, the team also had to shift certain business strategies to better cater to the needs and demands of the Metro Manila market. 

“We added more structured SOPs, trained for faster turnover, adjusted pricing to reflect rent and logistics, and refined our branding to speak to a broader market,” says Bustos. “We also leaned heavily on social media storytelling and delivery platforms, which were more dominant in Metro Manila than in Baguio.” 

Asked if he would recommend expanding to Metro Manila to other provincial entrepreneurs, Bustos responds by saying, “Not everyone is ready—and that’s okay.”

“Metro Manila will challenge your systems, your grit, and your identity,” the Amare La Cucina founder explains. “But if your brand has a clear heart, if you’ve built strong foundations in your province, and if you’re ready to adapt fast—it’s worth the shot.”

“Just don’t rush,” he cautions. “Build deep first, then go wide.”

Going Beyond Metro Manila 

Amare La Cucina has steadily grown beyond both Baguio and Metro Manila, branching out to prominent locations like Tagaytay and La Union.

“These places had strong tourist traffic and growing foodie scenes. Tagaytay reminded me of Baguio—cool climate, scenic, and family-centric,” Bustos explains. “La Union had the surfer and expat crowd. We wanted to bring the Amare experience to places where people came to relax, recharge, and eat well.” 

Expanding to other provincial locations proved to be a different yet enlightening experience for Bustos and his team. They eventually learned that these provinces had their own quirks, too.

In La Union, for example, the team had to align with the beach-centered lifestyle. In Tagaytay, on the other hand, they had to deal with more weather disruptions. 

“Each area required us to localize not just the menu, but the vibe, marketing, and even hiring,” says Bustos. “Baguio was our roots. Manila was our test of scalability. These provinces were a test of flexibility.”

These quirks pushed the team to tailor their business strategies to suit the demands and preferences of the different markets. 

“We had to adjust menus—adding more rice meals, budget-friendly options, or regional favorites. We also used local suppliers whenever possible,” he explains. “In Tagaytay, we focused more on group meals and family platters. In La Union, we played with more casual beach-ready items.”

The Amare founder adds, “Marketing also became more localized—partnering with nearby hotels, tour groups, or local creators.”

Lessons to Keep in Mind

Twelve years ago, Amare La Cucina began as a modest Italian restaurant tucked within the comforts of a home. Since then, it has grown beyond its roots, expanding to nearby provinces and eventually making its way to Manila.

Far from hitting the brakes, the founder and his team are gearing up for more expansion. They’re currently working on growing both the Amare+ and Amare Caffè concepts, while also preparing to launch Pugon by Amare in Camp John Hay.

“We’re going deeper into storytelling, better systems, and wider impact,” Bustos says.

He also has nuggets of wisdom to share with fellow entrepreneurs in the province who are considering expanding to other locations outside their hometown.

Know Your Non-Negotiables

He advises entrepreneurs to ask themselves, “What part of your brand must stay intact?”

Visit and Observe

“Eat there, stay there,” the Amare La Cucina owner recommends. “Talk to locals.”

Start Small 

“A pop-up or a partner-based setup can help you test the waters,” Bustos says. 

Hire Local, Train Deep

“Culture is carried by people,” he reminds. 

And for those who want to take the big step of expanding specifically to Metro Manila, Bustos also has tips he wants to share. 

Prepare for Higher Costs 

“It’s a different ball game” when it comes to rent, staffing, and logistics, he says. 

Embrace Marketing

“Manila is loud,” Bustos points out. “Make sure your voice is clear and authentic.”

Simplify Your Operations

“You need systems that work under pressure,” he explains. 

Lastly, Play to Your Story

“The founder of Amare La Cucina offers a stern reminder: “Don’t copy Manila. Be proud of your provincial roots.”