OFW working in Dubai restaurants for years to finally have his own

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A 42-year-old, social media-savvy Caviteño, who has been doing the rounds in this city’s restaurants for years, where he started out as cook and is now a manager, will finally be opening a dining venue of his own.

To generate footfall, Ronie Fernando-Gatdula Dones is banking on the success of his digital content, “Boy Legit Stories,” which has 243,000 followers on Facebook and has had up to 4.1 million views in just a day. It is being streamed in collaboration with an independent production team calling itself “Project Manok.”

Dones told GMA News Online he is very excited about this latest episode on his life’s journey.

“Ready na for operation early next month ang aking matagal nang pinapangarap na sariling negosyo,” said Dones, who had worked in at least three popular, casual dining restaurants. He is currently general manager at a Chowking branch also in the city.

(It will be ready for operation early next month. I have long been dreaming to have my own business.)

Hand in hand

Food and digital streaming production go hand in hand for Dones, who embarked on an online food business serving Dubai’s Filipino community at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like all expats working in the food and beverage sector, Dones lost his restaurant job due to quarantine requirements, and had no choice but to resort to social media.

“It was a hit because of my signature dish, Boy Legit’s Lechon Belly,” said Dones. It was such a success so much so that he was able to open a physical branch in his hometown, Tanza in Cavite, later on after the pandemic.

It was also around this time when “Boy Legit Stories” was born. “It intends to inspire and educate viewers where they can take with them moral lessons from real-life scenarios we portray and characterize,” said Dones, who also does some acting in the segments.

Not surprisingly, the restaurant Dones will be opening will be named “Kusina Express by Boy Legit,” apparently capitalizing on the “Boy Legit” branding to direct footfall from his online followers. “Nagamit ko kasi 'yun para ma-market 'yung online business ko,” he said.

(I was able to use the brand name to market my online business.)

Working student

Dones, who has a degree in computer science, was a working student at a fast food restaurant. He arrived in Dubai 20 years ago when he was 22 years old.

“Kinuha ko ang mga kapatid ko para mas makatulong kami sa pamilya namin sa Pilipinas,” he said.

(I brought my siblings so we could better help our family in the Philippines.)

Hard work eventually took its toll on him. He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 2009, which necessitated a transplant.

“I decided to return home. My brother, Bryan, donated a kidney so that I may survive. I was very thankful that the transplant operation was successful,” said Dones in a mix of English and the vernacular.

One would think it was over for Dones. But no. He needed to get back to work so he could afford maintenance medication to ensure that his new kidney would not be rejected by his body.

And so off to Dubai he went again and got back to his old restaurant job. —KG, GMA Integrated News