It is said that food brings people together — be it for weddings, birthdays or any other occasion. It is always nice to share a good conversation over good food and good company.
B.C., before coronavirus, you’d see a lot of people going out to lunch or dinner with their friends on weekdays. Sundays, however, are considered “family time.” This is when we get to spend quality time together with our loved ones. In our culture, this means going to mass and then dining out or eating at home, sharing stories with your grandparents, playing with your nieces or nephews, or simply just hanging out with your parents and siblings.
This is the concept Sundays with Gerry revolves around. For Gerard Cordero, the man behind the Sundays with Gerry, food should taste unforgettable and adventurous but also feel homely, that is why they always use the hashtag #everydayfeelslikeSunday — to promote the feeling of Sunday lunches whenever they send their dishes over.
It all started with just a hobby. Gerard’s inspiration to start cooking came after cooking buttered shrimp for his friends at his Alma Mater, Ateneo de Manila University. From there, he was able to find his first customers which grew from 12 people to 250+ customers in Ateneo by January 2020.
THE MENU
It is the goal of Sundays with Gerry to provide customers with rustic food that is made from the freshest ingredients and “everything made in house,” shared Gerard.
“I apply the idea of Sundays (family and homely vibes) to my food by always making food fresh. I buy the ingredients around 4-5am of that day, unless it is something that needs to be dried or made the day before. I also make sure that my food is sent to the customer fresh from the stove and utilizes spices from India and the Mediterranean, making sure that classic dishes are elevated and taste rustic but also adventurous.”
Left Photo: SWG Chinese Stir- Fry Tofu
The menu truly lives up to its name as its dishes are inspired from food you would normally find on the table during a sunday lunch at home. They have lumpia, bagnet, adobo, sisig and leche flan to name a few.
Above Photo: Crispy Pata (left), Leche flan (right)
Among the dishes he serves, his favorites are the bagnet and lumpia, because those were his original ideas, shared Gerard.
Customers can avail of these dishes in “medium” servings starting at P289 or a “solo” meal at P129- P219 only.
Left Photo: Bagnet
HIS HUMBLE DREAMS AND MESSAGE TO ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS
When asked about his future plans, Gerard humbly says that his vision for the business is to “grow from a one man team cooking in our personal kitchen to having consistent daily orders and having a small team cook in a commissary.”
With the growing demand for Gerard’s dishes, the Sundays with Gerry brand also started to encounter some challenges. “there’s only so much one man and two stoves could do so I had to make myself move faster, have a more efficient system and invest in some equipment,” he said. With his passion and determination, Gerard was able overcome these hurdles. “I am currently trying to show the market that the problem has been solved and I, still a one man team, can still deliver good food in a timely manner,” he said.
His message to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Be to be kind to yourself, never lose sight of your passion and be smart with business decisions. Sometimes passion and business can clash as there are things that you want done or included in the menu but aren’t sound business ideas. Know that within a 100 customers, one or more will not like your product/service no matter how much you’ve tried to perfect your craft. Always be kind to yourself amidst adversity and criticism.”
Gerard Cordero proves that luck favors the prepared mind. With a clear purpose, compassion for others, and a pleasant attitude to solving problems, thriving during the pandemic is not impossible.
Not many people realize that nostalgic and familiar elements are key components in a food’s ability to create an experience.
Reminisce that nostalgic Sunday feeling with Sundays with Gerry. Get in touch through their Instagram and Facebook pages.