SEAFOOD Galore, a Cajun-inspired restaurant now celebrated in Tacloban for its generous platters and accessible pricing, traces its roots to the height of the Covid-19 pandemic — a time when uncertainty forced many Filipinos to pause and inspired a few to pivot.
For Emilyn Abrenica, founder and owner of Seafood Galore Tacloban, the path to restaurateur was never part of the plan.
“By profession, I am a medical representative,” Abrenica told The Manila Times. “Honestly, the food business was very far from what I imagined for myself.”
During the 2020 lockdowns, Abrenica continued her hospital rounds as an essential worker, but the pace of professional life slowed significantly. Like many confined to their homes, she found herself craving comfort food — specifically the bold, butter-drenched Cajun seafood flavors she had once tasted in Manila and associated with New Orleans, Louisiana.
“I really just started out of cravings,” she recalled. “I wanted Cajun seafood, and I thought, why not try cooking it myself, especially since Tacloban is so rich in fresh catches?”
From medical rounds to market runs
With no formal culinary training and only basic home-cooking experience, Abrenica began experimenting in her kitchen. She sourced crabs, shrimp and shellfish from nearby markets where prices remained relatively low. Using standard household equipment and a modest budget, she cooked her first batches for personal satisfaction. That satisfaction, however, quickly found an audience.
“At first, it was just friends and family,” she said. “Then they started telling others, and orders slowly started coming in.”
With a car at her disposal and hospital visits still on her daily schedule, Abrenica began a dual life. She delivered seafood orders herself, often immediately after visiting doctors. “While I was going to hospitals, I would also deliver orders. That’s how it really started,” she said.
The arrival of Foodpanda in Tacloban proved to be a turning point, allowing Seafood Galore to reach customers beyond Abrenica’s immediate network. “That’s when I realized people were really buying — not just once, but repeatedly,” she noted.
Despite the demand, doubt lingered. Abrenica had attempted small ventures before — selling ukay-ukay (secondhand clothes), direct selling and various side hustles — none of which had lasted. “For a long time, I believed business wasn’t for me,” she admitted. “I thought I’d just be an employee until retirement.”
By the end of 2020, the momentum became impossible to ignore. Despite limited financial backing and skepticism from those around her, Abrenica decided to open a physical store. “There was a time I felt I lacked support,” she said. “But instead of stopping me, that actually pushed me harder.”
The grit of growth
In 2021, Seafood Galore opened its first modest location: a tiny space with just three tables and a kitchen originally designed for a coffee shop.
“It was really small, but I told myself, ‘I’ll make it work,’” she said. With limited manpower, Abrenica became a one-woman team — cooking, serving, washing dishes and managing orders. “There were days when I was the cook, the cashier and the waiter, but that’s how I learned every part of the business.”
Her initial home-based startup cost as little as P2,000. By the time she moved to a physical store, her investment had grown to between P50,000 and P70,000. More than capital, Abrenica relied on faith. “I really told God, ‘Ikaw na ang bahala kung para sa akin ito’ (It’s up to You if this is for me). This was never my plan; this was His.”
As the business expanded, the challenges grew more complex. Abrenica faced partnership disputes, staffing issues and even theft. One particularly painful episode involved being robbed by someone she trusted. Though the incident led to legal consequences, she ultimately chose a path of forgiveness.
“I decided to let it go,” she said. “You don’t always know what people are going through.”
Operationally, the pressure was equally intense. At one point, staff misunderstandings led to mass resignations, leaving Abrenica to run the floor almost entirely alone again. “There was a time when I had no staff. I really wanted to give up,” she recalled. “But even when I was tired and discouraged, I just kept going.”
Seafood for the masses
Seafood Galore eventually moved from its original site to Burgos Street, and finally to its current, larger location in Tacloban City, which seats up to 50 customers. The menu grew organically, shaped by customer requests.
“At first, I only had Cajun mixed seafood,” Abrenica said. “But customers would ask for pure crabs or just shrimp. I adjusted and learned. I remember someone asked for buttered shrimp; I didn’t even know how to cook it then. I just relied on my taste and experience eating out.”
Affordability remained her guiding principle. In a market where seafood is often viewed as a luxury for the wealthy, Abrenica introduced mixed seafood meals for as low as P100 to P150.
“I didn’t want seafood to be only for the rich,” she said. While inflation eventually forced price adjustments, she refused to compromise on quality. To cater to younger diners near schools, she introduced “rice toppings” — budget-friendly options that widened her customer base.
Lessons in expansion
The brand briefly ventured into franchising in 2022 with a branch in Ormoc City. While the food was well-received, the location proved difficult, and the branch closed after a year.
“The problem wasn’t the food; it was the location,” Abrenica explained. Though offers have come in from Samar and Davao, she remains cautious. “For now, my focus is Tacloban. Expansion can come later.”
Reflecting on her journey, Abrenica’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is candid. “You need a brave heart. Business is not just about money; it’s about people, stress, responsibility and constant problem-solving,” she said. “There will be days you want to quit, but consistency and perseverance matter more than motivation.”
Today, Seafood Galore’s signature Cajun mixed seafood remains its top seller — a recipe born from a pandemic craving that refused to stay small. It stands as a reminder that the most meaningful businesses are often not the ones carefully planned, but the ones courageously answered.
QUICK QUESTIONS
What is your biggest fear?
Fear of choosing the wrong path after making a big life change.
What really makes you angry?
Betrayal
What motivates you to work hard?
Money
What makes you laugh the most?
Funny reels.
What would you do if you won the lotto?
I would invest in another business, travel overseas, share my blessings and save the rest.
If you could share a meal with any individual, living or dead, who would they be?
I would probably share a meal with my late Lolo Ruben.
What was the last book you read?
Bible
Which celebrity would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?
Park Bo-gum
What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
I transitioned from corporate life into the food industry, a field I knew nothing about at the start.
What is the one thing you will never do again?
Allowing myself to repeat the mistakes I’ve already learned from.