Gerry’s in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, now with its bright lights and more homey atmosphere, serves a character that is more family oriented.
Already a favorite among Filipinos, Gerry’s has been converted into a family restaurant where people come mainly for the good food, rather than just the drinks.
“Our customers still enjoy chill-out drinks, but that is just secondary. The bar that we have is very small now, yet functional for service,” said Gerry Apolinario, whose passion and love for cooking and grilled food brought about the iconic restaurant brand.
“We have collaborated and exchanged ideas with our partners at an architectural firm, and we took about a year or more to collaborate,” Apolinario also said. They closed the Tomas Morato branch two months, reopening last November 2022.
Now diners will note a Filipino design that gives them an almost Arizona restaurant vibe.
“It’s still Filipino and it’s just comfortable,” added Apolinario who in his younger years dreamt of putting up a place where everyone could hang out and enjoy good food.
Gerry’s, which will celebrate its 26th year in February 2023, dishes out appetizers, soups, kilaw, vegetables, pork, beef, chicken, chargrilled, seafood, rice, merienda, desserts, drinks, beers, and Gerry’s home experience. It aims to give everyone a pleasurable dining experience, serving only the freshest food.
Customers can expect new items will be added to the menu by January of next year. “It’s ready and 100 percent done,” said the restaurateur, himself a very critical customer when he was in college.
Apart from the food it offers, Gerry’s also developed products not included in their original plan such as its special blend iced tea, kare-kare sauce and packaged sisig, among others, which are now available at grocery stores.
Gerry’s continues to expand nationwide and has also opened branches in the United States, Singapore, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi).
Customers can come and visit the restaurant in its newly opened branches in Panglao, Bohol; San Fernando and Mexico in Pampanga; and Sierra Valley Cainta in Rizal. More local areas will soon be added.
“These restaurants will have the same look as the one that we have now in Tomas Morato, and 12 more stores will be coming in the next few months,” Apolinario mentioned.
“Our restaurant is a family oriented one, is Filipino, is down to earth, is casual, and is focused on food,” he said of the company, whose business development department has demographics of areas and knows how to pattern.
Gerry’s likewise dropped the ‘Grill’ in its name. “Grill, when translated in Filipino, means ‘ihaw’; and when one says ‘ihaw’ before, especially when they are in their 40s or 50s, it also means ‘inuman’ (drinking place), a connotation that no longer fits us,” Apolonario explained.
Gerry’s now uses QR codes all over the place to bring the customers to the landing page of comments should they have any.
