Senators honor PH's 'king of buffet', restaurateur Vicvic Villavicencio

Senators paid homage to the late restaurateur Victor Vincent "Vicvic" Villavicencio by adopting Resolution No. 1045, recognizing his achievements in entrepreneurship and immense contributions to the country's culture and hospitality industry.

The resolution was initiated by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri and Sen. Richard Gordon. The rest of their colleagues opted to be made co-sponsors and co-authors of the said resolution which was adopted last May 22.

"Villavicencio is a paragon of Filipino hospitality and good service. He believed firmly that one must innovate and improve on any good idea and make it work until it's accepted, appreciated and remembered," they said.

The senators noted how the businessman, whom they described as the "maverick in the Filipino food industry and pioneer of Subic Yacht Club," helped shape the landscape of dining in the country through his restaurants in a span of almost five decades.

A true visionary in the hospitality industry, Villavicencio was one of the first to attempt to elevate Filipino cuisine when he launched Kamayan restaurant in 1977 which served Filipino food at affordable prices and the main attraction of which was to eat with bare hands, they said.

They said Villavicencio also pioneered the first buffet restaurant in the country, the reason why he was dubbed the "king of buffet" when he opened Dad's restaurant in 1993.

Through his restaurants, the senator said, Villavicencio merged Filipino values into the dining experience.

"He offered a 50 percent discount in Dad's buffet to customers who had no leftovers, inspired by the traditional Filipino teaching that no food should be wasted. His restaurants also do not charge service fees as he believed that good service should be part and parcel of work. His restaurants also popularized eating with one's hands even outside of one's home," they said.

"Villavicencio also illustrated that good food and company need not be expensive. He made different cuisines accessible to Filipinos by setting affordable prices and giving constant promotions at his restaurants," the senators added.

Aside from his contributions in the restaurant industry, the senators said Villavicencio was able to provide jobs for people in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) when he put up the Subic Yacht Club which is well-known for its top-of-the-line berths and facilities that allow for a secure and environmentally friendly sailing.

Born on Nov. 8, 1951, Villavicencio passed away last April 29 due to heart attack. He was 67.