Martin tries hand in business
It has become a trend among celebrities lately to start their own businesses, probably because they’ve realized that a showbiz career is not forever.
One of the few business-minded celebs is Martin del Rosario. Recently, Martin invited friends and members of the press to the opening of his latest business venture, a bar called The Armory along Congressional Ave. Extension in Quezon City. This is his first major business; he used to have an online shop, but he got into this one because he wanted something bigger and more stable.
From the outside to the interiors, Martin and his business partners designed The Armory to be a place where people can be at home and feel they can hang comfortably and not have to get too dressed-up. The fact that it’s located in the heart of Quezon City, within a short driving distance of several residential villages, is no accident. They were going precisely for that kind of a feel. “Karamihan ng mga bars kasi medyo flashy,”
explains Martin. “Gusto namin, gawin na warehouse type yung bar para komportable
lahat at para hindi stiff yung vibe.” But why a bar for a business? “I am not a party boy, but it’s just that me and my partners love to go out and mingle with friends, and we would usually go to Makati or Fort, so why not put up a bar in Quezon City?”
The Armory’s design is warehouse-inspired, with a wooden frontage and unpainted wooden seats and tables inside. “Medyo underground, even the music, it’s not as mainstream like the ones you usually hear in other clubs. Even the drinks, we serve premium drinks but at a very affordable price,” says Martin, who attended a two-week class on mixing drinks to prepare for the opening of The Armory. “Yung mga drinks ko, pareho ng lasa ng mga nasa Makati at The Fort.”
Martin has always prided himself on looking beyond his showbiz career. The business, he says, has nothing to do with acting. “I’m just a business-minded person; I’m really into business,” says the young actor, who recently shifted to Broadcast Communications at UP Diliman.
He went into business for the same reason he returned to school after taking a short leave last semester. “I know that my being an actor is not permanent, di naman forever ‘yan,” explains Martin. He wants to get into a lot of things to secure his future this early. “I am future-oriented. I’m not the type who plans what I want, I just want to make sure that everything is stable. Lahat sila priority ko, family, work, school business, I want to excel in all aspects.”
It’s not that he plans on retiring from acting. “No, no, I love what I’m doing, even in acting game ako, I really love what I'm doing,” he says.
Even the intrigues and rumors thrown at him will not make him give it up. In fact, he’s about to start working on an indie film in which he plays a gay character. He’s aware that rumors might start up again, but he’s not bothered. “Sa akin, ang intriga, walang bearing talaga. Masaya ako sa ginagawa ko.”