SAVORY Bistro Café on Thursday held a grand opening for its new and bigger location on Middle Road in Garapan at the building next to the former Sasco auto shop.
Savory started out as a small stall at Kada Dia in Chalan Kanoa when it first opened in June 2021.
“We started the business with the intention of providing jobs to our staff who were affected by the pandemic,” co-owner Jennifer Elayda said. She and her husband Mike also operate a manpower agency and other businesses.
“We wanted to make sure we were still able to provide jobs to our staff. Many hotels had closed down and we had a number of staff that were affected by the closure,” she said.
It was a struggle, she added. “There was a time when what we were earning was just enough for the operations and the salaries of our employees. We even had to dip into our savings just to sustain the business and make sure that we pay our staff’s wages,” she said.
For their part, the employees were all hardworking and they did their best to make the business successful, Jennifer said.
“I saw the dedication of my team. It was their teamwork that made things work despite the difficult time,” she added.
After a few months of operation at Kada Dia, business was not only thriving, it was also growing, she added.
“We felt there was a need for a bigger space,” she said, and that’s when they moved to a new location on Beach Road in Garapan.
Soon, the restaurant was filled with customers who came for Savory’s menu items — and karaoke.
Eventually, Jennifer and Mike decided to move to a bigger location.
The menu
Savory is known for its delicious Filipino dishes, such as sisig (a sizzling combination of minced pork jowl, ears, and chicken liver mixed with aromatics -- onion and chili peppers -- and enhanced with the bright acidity of calamansi), pancit guisado (sauteed noodles) and bulalo (beef shank soup).
Savory also serves various other chicken, pork, beef and vegetable dishes as well as soup, salad and breakfast sets.
Credit cards are accepted. For more information, call (670) 233-6143.
Sing it
The “Search for Karaoke Star” is one of the restaurant’s most anticipated events. The first season was a success and Savory recently concluded season two which featured 17 finalists.
At its new location, Savory has private karaoke rooms for its musically inclined patrons.
“Our food is definitely why many people like to eat at our restaurant,” Jennifer said, “and it’s also because of our family-friendly ambience. We’re a place for families who have kids who want to dine, drink, be merry and sing.”
She is grateful for the community’s support.
“Without them we will not be where we are now,” she added. “We have a clean heart and pure intentions. We love what we do, and we love our staff. As business owners, we must have genuine love and sincerity in the services we give not just to our patrons but also to the people working for us.”
