‘Amare La Cucina’ may mean ‘to love the kitchen’ in Italian,” said founder and president Edmark Bustos, who with his wife Nica, Papa Mar Bustos and sister Marianne (who also serves as chief expansion officer), takes charge of running the 11 (Baguio, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Pasig, Makati, SM Megamall, SM Southmall, Cavite, Laguna and Tagaytay) branches. “Honestly, we started very small and very humble. Our first brick oven was built in our backyard in Baguio using limited resources, a lot of trial and error and support from family and friends.”

Baguio is where Amare La Cucina began. It is there, in the midst of pine trees and cool breezes, that the idea of wood-fired pizza cooked with love and all food Italian began.

“Baguio will always be the heart of Amare because this is where everything started.”

Edmark tells the story of Baguio in 2013, as he paints a picture of the city that shaped the personality of the brand — from its climate, to its cool and fresh mountain air that brought out the family’s creativity. Not only is there a sense of place, Edmark talks about a strong value for community and to a loving community of people who were willing to give Amare’s wood-fired pizza a place in their hearts and on their palates.

“The Baguio branch carries the original spirit of Amare because this is where the story began,” Edmark said. “It was Amare in Baguio that became iconic for us because it allowed us to create a more elevated and destination-style experience inspired by Baguio itself. We experimented more with flavors, desserts, coffee, cocktails and local ingredients that guests can mostly experience only here in the city.

“I think what helped us survive through the years was consistency, adaptability and really caring about people. We continuously improved while staying grounded in hospitality and creating experiences people would remember.”

Difficult times made us grow

The food business can be finicky and the clientele can change tastes at a moment’s notice. The family treated every challenge as a chance to improve.

“We continuously improved dishes based on customer feedback, travel inspirations, trends and the Bustos’ own creativity as a team,” said Edmark. “We have kept many of the dishes people first loved us for, while also introducing more Baguio-inspired and Filipino-inspired concepts. At Amare+ Baguio, for example, we explored more unique dishes inspired by local ingredients and the creativity of the city. One of the dishes people became curious about is our Ube Strawberry Pizza with prosciutto and anchovies — something very unique to Baguio and very reflective of our playful approach to food.”

And then there is the dining experience because eating out is never just about the food. And Edmark makes sure that dining at Amare is also an experience.

“I think people remember how you make them feel. Food is very important, but hospitality and consistency matter just as much. We try to create a warm atmosphere where people feel relaxed, welcomed and connected. We also continue improving because customers evolve, too. We listen closely to feedback and try not to become complacent.”

And now, Pugon

“Pugon by Amare is part of the Amare Group. I think people today are looking for more meaningful dining experiences and stronger connections to culture, story and place,” said Edmark. “Pugon has become a way for us to honor tradition while still moving forward creatively as a brand. Pugon is very personal to us because it is inspired by our father, Papa Mar, and the memories we grew up with around food, family and hospitality.

“Most of the recipes and flavors in Pugon were inspired by his cooking and the meals we shared growing up. Through the concept, we wanted to honor him and preserve that feeling of warmth, comfort and togetherness around food.”

Pugon is how the Bustos family shares a more Filipino and more personal side their story while staying rooted in Baguio culture and woodfire cooking.

Located inside the iconic Camp John Hay in Baguio City, the property can accommodate around 600 guests, making it not just a restaurant but also a destination venue for gatherings, celebrations, events and tourism.

“Like any family business, there are challenges and different opinions sometimes, but trust and communication are very important,” Edmark added. “At the end of the day, we remind ourselves that we are building something not just for ourselves, but for our team, our customers and the future of the brand.”