CCA Manila, the country’s top culinary school, successfully concluded its first-ever CCA Connect Bootcamp, a one-day intensive program designed to equip hospitality professionals with practical tools in leadership, service design, and operational excellence. The event also marked the school’s 29th year of shaping culinary and hospitality talent in the Philippines.
Held at Brittany Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, the bootcamp gathered restaurant owners, chefs, managers, and emerging leaders for a day of focused learning rooted in real-world industry challenges.
More than a conference, the program created a space for dialogue, reflection, and shared problem-solving among hospitality practitioners navigating an increasingly complex landscape.
The Bootcamp is part of CCA Connect, a new initiative aimed at strengthening community relations and encouraging knowledge-sharing across the hospitality sector. While CCA Manila has spent nearly three decades training culinary professionals, CCA Connect reflects a broader commitment to elevating industry standards through collaboration, education, and systems-driven thinking.
“This Bootcamp was born from conversations with restaurant owners and hospitality professionals who kept telling us the same thing: they needed people, they needed training, and they needed support,” said Ana Beatrice Trinidad, CCA’s Communications Director. “This brings everyone together not just to learn from our speakers, but from each other. It’s our way of breaking the culture of gatekeeping and raising the bar of Filipino hospitality as a community.”
New Format of Learning
Unlike traditional conferences, the CCA Connect Bootcamp was intentionally designed to be hands-on and immediately applicable. Participants actively engaged with one another, challenged prevailing ideas, and worked on personalized action plans they could implement in their own operations.
“This is not a day of Cinderella stories,” Trinidad emphasized. “We want attendees to walk away with practical tools, clear frameworks, and—after today—real feedback from our team instead of a generic thank-you email.”
The program reflected CCA’s evolving role in the industry—from culinary school to collaboration hub. “We started as a school, but the industry needs more from CCA now,” Trinidad added. “CCA Connect is our way of supporting hospitality professionals through community-building, leadership development, and access to expertise.”
Conversation with Ryan Cruz
One of the highlights of the Bootcamp was a wide-ranging conversation with Ryan Cruz, President and CEO of the Nippon Hasha Group, the company behind well-loved dining concepts such as Mendokoro Ramenba and Ramen Yushoken. Known as a leading thinker in experiential dining, Cruz shared deep insights on leadership, consistency, and the realities of the Philippine F&B landscape.
“Every business has struggles,” Cruz said. “You eventually choose the set of problems you’re willing to live with. For me, I always come back to my purpose—service.”
Cruz emphasized the importance of “guest obsession” as the backbone of longevity. “If you’re not obsessed, you’ll quit before you get things right,” he said. “We pay closer attention to one-star reviews than five-star ones. The five stars tell you what you already know. The one star shows you where the opportunities are.”
Culture over Stars
Another key session featured the visionary team behind the acclaimed restaurants Hapag and Ayà—Chef Thirdy Dolatre, Chef John Kevin Navoa (Chef Nav), and Service Director Erin Recto. Following Hapag’s first Michelin star and Recto’s Michelin Service Award, the trio shared how their success is rooted in a culture-first approach that prioritizes team well-being, accountability, and a deeply personal style of Filipino hospitality.
Recto described front-of-house service as being the “best picture frame to a chef’s work of art,” ensuring every detail supports the overall dining experience. Their approach includes deep personalization—encouraging staff authenticity, anticipating guest needs, and ensuring teams possess deep product knowledge to confidently share the stories behind Filipino cuisine.
Consistency is Key
A recurring theme throughout the Bootcamp was that hospitality goes beyond food, ambiance, or accolades. True excellence lies in the invisible work—systems, training, humility, and service—that ensures consistency.
“This is just the beginning,” Trinidad said. “The industry wants community, not competition. They want systems, not guesswork—and conversations that move us forward.”
CCA Manila plans to roll out more CCA Connect programs in 2026, including additional bootcamps, workshops, and industry meetups. CCA Connect Bootcamp was supported by Wine Club Worldwide Philippines Inc., Breville, McCormick Culinary, Pomodoro Pizza, and Brittany Hotel BGC.
For updates, follow @ccamanila and @ccaconnectph on FB and IG.
