From Online Connection to Culinary Dream: A Love Story Built on Risk
In the coastal town of Moalboal, Cebu, an LGBTQ+ couple named Venz and Venus embarked on a journey that would test their love, faith, and entrepreneurial spirit. Their story began not in a restaurant kitchen, but through a digital connection in late 2015. At that time, Venz was working for an IT company in Malaysia, while Venus served as a hospital pharmacist in the Philippines. What started as casual online friendship quickly deepened into romance, becoming official by November of that year.
Leaping into the Unknown: The Birth of Ven's Kitchen
Just months after making their relationship official, Venz and Venus made a bold decision that would define their future together. In March 2016, they left their stable careers behind to open a modest four-table eatery in Basdiot, Moalboal. With minimal capital and maximum courage, they gambled that if their relationship could withstand the pressure of business ownership, their culinary venture would flourish alongside their love.
"It was risky," Venus recalled during an online interview. "We were getting to know each other while building a business at the same time." The couple understood the delicate balance they were attempting—if their relationship faltered, the business could collapse, and if the business failed, it could strain their partnership to breaking point.
Creative Survival: Four Tables and Big Ambitions
Starting with what Venus described as "karenderya style" operations, their small space was simple and easily overlooked. What they lacked in financial resources, however, they compensated for with remarkable creativity. The couple introduced witty names for their dishes that captured customers' imaginations. A chicken dish cooked in coconut milk became "Snow White," while their orange-glazed chicken, inspired by the popular series "Orange Is the New Black," was playfully named "Chicken with the New Orange."
Curiosity about these creative names spread through word of mouth, transforming their modest operation. From an initial menu of just 10 dishes, Ven's Kitchen eventually expanded to around 30 offerings. Both partners took hands-on roles in the kitchen—Venz, who learned cooking from his grandparents and parents, became the main cook, while Venus, trained by her mother, balanced culinary duties with administrative work.
Their vision extended beyond mere profitability. "We wanted tourists not just to see the beach but to experience Filipino food," Venz explained. They reinvented traditional dishes into vegan and vegetarian-friendly versions, from vegetable kare-kare to plant-based adobo, hoping to elevate Filipino cuisine for both local and international visitors.
Weathering the Storms: Pandemic and Typhoon Challenges
Before the global health crisis, long lines would form outside their small restaurant by 5 p.m. each evening. Business was steady, and the future appeared certain. Yet even during those early years, there were moments when the couple found themselves down to their last P200. "At that time, I told him, 'Let's just trust and have faith,'" Venus remembered.
Then came unprecedented challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, followed by Super Typhoon Odette's devastating impact on southern Cebu, including Moalboal, in 2021. Operations halted completely, income vanished, and they eventually closed their small restaurant that same year.
"When we let go of our small restaurant, we thought that was it—that it was already over," Venz confessed. But Venus maintained a different perspective: "When you close something, it doesn't mean it's the end. Sometimes it's redirection." Venz echoed this belief, adding, "When you let go of something, bigger things will happen."
Rebirth and Resilience: The Phoenix Rises
With what Venz described as their "final dance"—their last savings—they decided to gamble once more. A new restaurant, constructed primarily from bamboo and indigenous materials, rose in place of their former establishment. Five months after closing, they reopened in October 2022.
"If you're at rock bottom," Venus reflected, "there's nowhere else to go but up." This philosophy guided their recovery and expansion. From just the two of them and their nine-year-old daughter helping as a waitress in their early days, Ven's Kitchen now employs approximately 13 staff members. Remarkably, some employees who were with them before the pandemic chose to wait for their reopening.
"They never gave up on us," Venus said gratefully. Both owners, who were once working students themselves, now make it a point to support working students on their team. For them, success is measured not only in profit but in how they treat the people who work alongside them.
Love and Business: An Intertwined Journey
Their personal and professional lives developed in parallel. "Love story begins when the business begins," Venus observed. Conflict was inevitable as partners both in the kitchen and in life, but they learned to balance each other's strengths and weaknesses. "It complements each other," Venus explained.
They emphasized the importance of understanding each other deeply, including childhood wounds and personal trauma, to prevent conflicts from escalating. "When she has a tantrum, instead of getting angry, I see the child behind her," Venz shared. "I hug her." Daily meditation, prayer, and surrounding themselves with supportive friends in Moalboal helped strengthen their bond.
Courage Beyond the Kitchen: Living Authentically
Building a restaurant was not the only risk they undertook. Going public as a couple presented another significant challenge. Venus admitted that stepping out of the closet was not easy. Before meeting Venz, she had made a quiet promise to herself: whoever her next partner would be, she would no longer hide. "When it's a man, I will introduce him. If it's a woman, it's time to get out," she resolved.
When Venz entered her life, she chose courage. "I bravely came with him," Venus declared. Venz understood the fear that many LGBTQ+ couples face from societal expectations, family pressures, and judgment. "I know there are friends who are still afraid to come out," Venus acknowledged.
For Venz, peace came from within. "I don't need validation from other people," he stated. "The happiness is from within us." Their faith became personal—not defined by labels, but by genuine connection. "It doesn't matter what people say," Venz emphasized. "What's important is that you love each other."
From Scarcity to Abundance: A Testament to Faith and Love
Looking back at the days when P200 was all they possessed, they now view those challenges as integral chapters of their history. For Venz and Venus, coming out was not about defiance but about living truthfully—proof that faith, patience, and love can transform scarcity into abundance.
If they were to give their story a title, they already have one: "Table for two: plated with passion." Through economic hardship, natural disasters, and societal challenges, their journey demonstrates how authentic partnership, both in business and in life, can create resilience that withstands even the most formidable storms.
