The Australian Filipina has been featuring Filipino-owned small businesses which had been impacted by government measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Despite the effect on their operations, these businesses have been extending assistance to international students who lost their part-time jobs.
One of these noteworthy businesses is Mate Burger shop and food truck. Every Tuesday, during the month of May, Mate Burger shop located in 1 Mount Druitt Road has been the go-to by the international students. The owner of Mate Burger, Henry Paraan collaborated with Aquino Fernandez and the Association of Pinoy Students in Australia [APSA] team to provide food packs to the students who registered with APSA.
Henry said:
"There were a lot of international students that were affected by Covid19 restrictions. They lost their jobs and were finding it difficult to maintain their personal needs eg rent, course expenses, food, etc. Being in the hospitality industry we were also hit hard, but we are happy to be able to extend some help to the students."
There was a total of 240 students who availed of food packs prepared by Mate Burger and additional grocery items from APSA. It was a help that the shop was close to the train station as the students came from various parts of Sydney.
One of the students, Dalie Macapanas, posted on social media: "Thank you so much APSA and to all the team.. thank you Mate Burger in Mount Druitt for the delicious food pack and groceries."
Mate Burger shop is also one of the drop off points for winter clothing being donated to the international students on June 6, between 12 noon and 1pm.
About Mate Burger
Mate Burger Shop & Food Truck which was established in 2016 serves delicious fusion of Filipino and American cuisine- from burgers, loaded fries and modern Filipino dishes. It fuses together American and Filipino flavours with a menu to please anyone.
"I got inspired to establish Mate Burger by my travels overseas and by my cultural heritage. I love cooking especially the popular dishes in the Philippines, like adobo, lechon, inasal and enjoy sharing this with mates . Offering Filipino cuisine in a different way, helps to promote and highlight the variety and influences of the Philippine culture."
Commenting on the impact of COVID-19, Henry said:
"In terms of our business, the way we operated had to change and fast. The large food truck events which would normally bring crowds like the annual event of Vivid Sydney, Formula One in Melbourne were all cancelled so we heavily relied on our shop front. Dine-in was no longer an option, so we shifted quickly by offering an in-house delivery where we used our truck to deliver the food to customers.
"We promoted heavily on social media on the importance of safety, hygiene and physical distancing to reassure our customers that we would remain open as an essential provider and do our part to help flatten the curve."
About Henry Paraan
Henry completed a Diploma in Structural Engineering at the Sydney Institute of Technology and also an Advance Diploma in Financial Planning with Kaplan. He worked in Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) as a financial adviser for 10 years and moved to ANZ Financial Planning as a Senior Financial Planner for a further 8 years.
Then in 2016, he took a leap of faith and followed his passion, from suit to apron, to establish Mate Burger food truck which roams around the region of Sydney and subsequently the shop in Mount Druitt.
When asked what achievements he hold fondly in his heart, Henry shared:
"My family is my greatest achievement. My kids are focused on their education and I have a lovely wife. Secondly, a change in my career. With no experience within the hospitality industry I am now running my own restaurant."
In terms of challenges he faced, he said:
"The biggest challenge by far is Covid-19. This pandemic was unexpected and the effects were widespread amongst people and businesses."
His advice to those who are considering establishing a business:
"You need to be passionate and love what you do. Having your own business requires a lot of faith, heart and hard work.
"Do your research prior to starting your own business- what makes you different, who are your customers etc. Talk to similar business owners and begin networking. Community networking is a powerful tool when you own your own business."
Henry's family came to Australia towards the end of 1987 when he was 10 years old. His mother Julieta hails from Nueva Ecija and his late father Mauro was from Pangasinan. Henry is the eldest of their four children.
Henry is happily married to Roseann who is the daughter of Verma who hails from Lucena City, Quezon and the late Romy Cayabyab who was the Editor and Publisher of The Filipino Australian and much loved by the community . Henry and Roseann have been blessed with a daughter, 16 year old Paris and a son Liam, 13 years.
In closing, we asked Henry how does he define success.
"Success is achieving the goals that you set for yourself. Personally, being able to provide for my family is a measure of my success."