The Lopez family here is however among the few who love to do both. It is thus not surprising that most of the Lopez siblings, who hail from General Santos City, are into the business of cooking. But actually, their fondness for cooking may come as a surprise for some people because all six of them are boys, one of them being Dr. Ashley Lopez of the Davao City Health Office.
“Hilig talaga ng fa
mily naming magluto kahit noong mga bata pa kami at ang paborito naming seafoods (My family loves to cook even when we were very young and we love seafoods the most),†said Alan Lopez, one of the owners of Gusteau’s Food Haus. Alan was able to formulate the secret recipe for Gusteau’s specialty -- the Garlic & Herbs Carb -- three years ago, but was only able to start the restaurant two years ago at Tiongson Street in General Santos City. It was not the first crab restaurant in the city, but in just six months, they were able to recoup their investment, thanks to their customers who could not seem to let a week pass without stopping by, or ordering from Gusteau’s.
“But it was not easy for us,†Alan said. He admitted he even had to sell his car to get the needed capital to start Gusteau’s Gensan. He has experienced working in banks and in other offices but was between work(s) then, and was planning to start a home-based crab restaurant business. His wife however disagreed, saying it would pose a lot of problems as regards space and the supply of crabs. Luckily, they found a cheap space for rent along Tiongson but had to spend most of their capital renovating the place. Alan and his brother Albert started Gusteau’s Gensan with very little capital “kulang pa nga!†he jested, but with a very optimistic attitude and confidence in their cooking.
“The main reason why I went into business is really the thought of having a daily income, something you cannot get with an 8 to 5 employment,†he said. However, starting the business was really hard work for all of them. His wife, who works in a bank, goes straight to the restaurant after office hours to take charge of the counter, while Alan remains tied to the kitchen for all cooking chores. Alan, who admits to being a tennis addict, says he takes advantage of those lull moments in the restaurant to go to the nearby tennis court. Unlike Davao where it is almost impossible to shuttle between two places in a short span of time, General Santos’ traffic and route allow residents to be in their destinations in just 20 minutes. He said one of the more serious challenges he has encountered in the business is the lack of supply of crabs. He also recalled the lack of capital as among the greatest challenges he has encountered when starting the business.
“My approach is very personalized, ako mismo ang nagluluto (I personally cook) because no one knows the recipe aside from the family members,†he said. There was one time he had a very high fever and had to rely on flu medication prescribed by his brother from Davao to function for four days. Alan and his family’s sacrifices seem to be paying off, since they opened Gusteau’s at Damosa Complex in Davao City last May 15. No less than Mayor-elect Sara Duterte graced the opening of the Davao branch. Gusteau’s Gensan attracts customers from all walks of life and they expect the same to happen here in Davao. While the restaurant gets its regular share of loyal customers, they are also kept busy by the number of people who just call in or text their orders.
“What keep us competitive is the quality of our crabs and the taste of our garlic and herbs crab,†Alan said. He said he is very particular about serving only crabs that are fresh and alive prior to cooking. Crab enthusiasts can really tell the difference between crabs that are already dead prior to cooking and those still alive when cooked, he added. More than the taste, he said, you can actually see the difference in terms of the quality of the meat. He said crabs are very fatty but the herbs mixed with garlic tend to neutralize the high-cholesterol content of crabs. Alan said the biggest crab he was able to serve at Gusteau’s Gensan weighed up to 3 kilos. Alan said he continues to operate Gusteau’s in Gensan while his brother Albert is the main person when it comes to Gusteau’s Damosa. It is open Monday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This early, Gusteau’s is already up for expansion. Two of their brothers are already based abroad, but one of them is set to come back to the Philippines since he intends to establish a Gusteau’s branch in Manila. Alan said he has always been persistent about going into business because it is a surefire provider not only of financial freedom, but also of fulfillment. However, he acknowledges the fact that not everyone is suited for entrepreneurship because the way to establishing a stable business is filled with challenges and only the toughest can survive. High school classmate, tennis buddy and food taster Atty. Jun Lagare attests to how Gusteau’s came to life, starting from their high school days when he would peek into the Lopez kitchen to check out what’s cooking. Gusteau’s may have formally opened its doors to the Generals two years ago, but it actually started right in the kitchen of the Lopez family. Anyone who knows the Lopez brothers can attest to that.
