John Concepcion wants to give unlimited happiness at Yabu
I like this guy John Concepion. Not only because at 63, he is lovably handsome. You can see the silver streaks of wisdom in his hair, and the faint creases of hard work on his face. You listen to him talk articulately non-stop about his passion—his food conglomerate—and his other main passion—loving his wife and raising his children and grandchildren to be not just good entrepreneurs, but also good persons.
He has nobility of purpose. “Businesses stimulate the economy and provide jobs to people…And if my employees whom we have trained well get jobs abroad, I say, go ahead, it’s good for you and your family , and it helps the economy.”
He’s the guy responsible for creating Yabu which my family and I have become addicted to, we don’t mind lining up for 30 minutes or so to have seats in this always packed resto in Rockwell. It’s worth the wait because for about P450 per, you get a tonkatsu set of breaded meat or seafood, unlimited offerings of miso soup, white or brown rice, cabbage with sesame or wasabi salad dressing, fruits and hot tea. The word “unlimited” is magic to Pinoy diners like myself who like cheap thrills, rather, unlimited thrills.
To add to these, Yabu is perhaps one of the few restos in Rockwell whose staffers are so well-trained, they move fast intelligently and always wear a smile, even if you are a customer who loves “unlimited.” Such smiles tell me they enjoy their job and they love making people happy.
And so, last weekend, I listened intently to John as he opened Yabu in its new and bigger location in the mall which is like our weekend dining room.
“Imagine this: It was Dec. 27, 2008. I was in Osaka. Japan, sitting in a small restaurant just outside a train station,” John starts narrating. “With my son Michael and daughter Nicole, we watched as customers lined up for just one thing: a perfect plate of tonkatsu. No fancy menus, no distractions, just a singular focus of mastering one exceptional dish. So we took our first bite, and it was orgasmic! It was really, really good. It was my first experience of what katsu is supposed to be. Why don’t we have this in the Philippines?”
‘I was reared in old world values: integrity, hard work and discipline. I hope our younger generation will follow the same,’ says John Concepcion.
Fast forward to 2025: John now has 18 Yabu restos in Metro Manila, all with queues especially on weekends. Did anyone imagine that a single-concept resto (like what you most find in Japan), a homegrown one, would do well in Manila which is used to ordering everything—rom sushi to tempura to Wagyu steak—in just one Japanese restaurant?
Actually, John now has six resto brands in 39 locations, including Ippudo (a global ramen chain), Kiwami (an elevated fastfood hall which includes Hannosuke and Hachibei) and Elephant Grounds (a coffee shop founded in Hong Kong). These are under the Standard Hospitality Group (SHG) of which John is the founder, president and CEO.
a bed of premium Japanese rice
In Yabu Rockwell, John launched Crispy Katsudon, “a masterful creation featuring crispy katsu resting on a silky tamagoyaki omelette, generously coated in rich donburi sauce, topped on a bed of premium Japanese rice.”
Yabu’s interiors are made lovely by John’s son Michael who is the SHG creative director. “Our goal is simple: a space that feels warm, familiar and built to last, just like our food.”
On its walls are the trademark of Yabu from day one: manga panels. “They’re part of our story and a nod to the playful and child-like culture behind what we do, recognizing our biggest audience at Yabu: young people,” explains Michael, who has two kids himself.
“One of our key features is the masu cup which you see along the walls. Originally a tool for measuring rice in Japan, these cups have become symbols for celebration. Yabu uses masu cups for appetizers. And we will also use these cups to launch a new dessert next month,” Michael announces.
Learning the ropes from his dad, Michael himself has his own businesses such as Ronnie and Joe (an eyeglass specialist store named in honor of the twin Concepcion patriarchs), Commonwealth, Adidas, Aesop and Carhartt.
This August, John will launch still another concept resto, something which Manila does not have yet.
Explaining how his employees are so efficient and dedicated, John says they must pass constant training and be certified three times a year.
As to his own early education, after La Salle, John took marketing at Seattle University and business administration at Regis School in Denver. But his real training came at 26 when he joined Swift, one of the brands under the Concepcion family’s business empire. When his brother Joey bought Selecta from the Arce family, John agreed to handle it, but on condition that he be given full rein, and he be allowed to develop its own culture.
For 35 years, John grew and grew the ice cream brand, until last year when he decided to retire from Selecta so he could focus on SHG.
John says his biggest business lessons came from his late father, Joe Concepcion (fondly called “Joecon”), who ran RFM but was also a government leader, a politician and activist (remember NAMFREL?). As one of Joecon’s eight children, John explains: “I was reared in old world values: integrity, hard work and discipline.”
“And I hope our younger generation will follow the same set of principles,” John says. “I don’t believe in WFH. A businessman must be hands-on.”
John’s dream is to be the Jollibee of casual dining, providing excellence and consistency in food. He works hard but he knows how to play, too, being a fan of water sports, which explains why at his age, he looks quite fit.
If one day, you chance upon John Concepcion checking on a Yabu restaurant, go ask him for unlimited soup or salad or dessert. His aim is to provide unlimited happiness to customers.
