Pages: Success ‘not a destination’
Whether dapper in his own suit or in a crisp white linen shirt, Manuel “Bunny” Pages exudes this drive to build a business empire. It was 35 years ago when he became an entrepreneur to employ success. He has two maxims that he lives by: “Be curious but not suspicious” and “Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where ‘there’ is,” from Nike founder Phil Knight.
There are the family members handling their businesses: Allen Zaldarriaga handles Bright Academy and Play House Children Center; John Pages handles Thirsty, Fruitful and Mooon Cafe; Charlie Pages handles Lantaw Native Restaurant, Top of Cebu Restaurant, Cafe Racer Diner, Shaka Hawaiian Restaurant, Mismukuno Teppanyaki Restaurant, Daplin sa Dagat Restaurant and Kampo Grill and Bar; Cheryl Alba handles House of Lechon, Taters Movie Snacks and Summers Crepe and Fron Delight; Michael Pages handles Sushi Boy Restaurant; and Randy Pages handles Skills and Bones clothing company and is the general manager of the company’s repair maintenance and construction division.
For Bunny, success is a journey and not a destination. One never arrives; it is a continuous process of becoming. A person is only a success when he impacts himself in a good way. The more successful he is, The more he is able to change in a positive way either psychologically, materially or spiritually or all at the same time.
“One word describes a successful restaurant or business,” he said. “And that word is alignment. Everything has to be aligned—from your restaurant concept, location, menu, pricing, the taste of the food, ambiance, service and ‘feel’ of the place. If one ingredient is missing, the entire place falls apart; maybe not immediately, but eventually. It’s the same for any business.”