Self-taught chef, solidarity advocate opening first Filipino cafe/market in Brewerytown
The 2,500 square foot facility is located at 2816 West Girard Avenue.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Self-taught chef and solidarity advocate Raquel Dang left corporate America to open a café and market serving up Filipino fare, bringing a taste of the Philippines to her Brewerytown neighborhood.
Action News got a first look inside Baby's. The 2,500 square foot facility is located at 2816 West Girard Avenue.
The café will also be a marketplace for locally grown produce. It's a dream come to fruition for Dang and her husband, Tam.
She says the goal is to use food as a vehicle to tell her family's stories.
"I think it's just so important to tell our stories. And I think the best way to tell our story is through food," she said.
After leaving her job to pursue her passion, Dang started with the popular supper club Tita Emmies.
It was such a hit, she was able to save and begin the process of opening a brick and mortar, while many other restaurants folded because of the pandemic.
"It is very scary because my family never said 'Oh go do something risky.' It was always about being stable. At the same time, it's something so meaningful. It's worth the risk," said Dang.
Once Baby's opens, Chef Dang plans to employ some of the kids she mentors at the McClain Foundation, a violence intervention program.
Her goal is to teach city youth different parts of the restaurant business, while also partnering with local farmers to keep most of their produce hyper local.
Baby's is scheduled to open in Summer 2023.
For more information, visit: https://babysphl.com/.
