FFTG Cafe owner Nariese Giangan discusses her motivations for opening a welcoming environment for the LGBTQIA+ community and anyone looking for an enjoyable experience
What is now known as FFTG or Food For The Gays was once an online bakery shop run by culinary school graduate Nariese Giangan on Instagram. When the pandemic hit, many small businesses and queer spaces closed down. After a year, Nariese and her partner took a leap of faith and decided to open a shop in Cubao where she could grow their menu and broaden their horizon. What started as a humble cafe became a vibrant venue for game nights, open mic shows, dates, fundraisers, birthday celebrations, and drag performances.
What motivated you to establish a queer space that provides a venue for drag queens?
I’m not a stranger to LGBTQIA+ events and drag queens. As an advocate who organizes the monthly Girl Nation in Nectar, drag is something close to my heart. We weren’t originally going to host drag performances with our Drag Race PH viewing parties—I’m well aware that the size of our cafe isn’t made for big crowds and drag performances. But when Mrs. Tan, a drag queen and a dear friend of mine, dropped by one time and said, “Keri ko ‘yan! Laban!” We thought, “Well, we can give it a try!” So, our next viewing party included her as a performer.
“The night was a success! A handful of people said it was their first time watching drag in real life. We did the same the week after, and the rest is herstory!”
In what ways has your experience as an LGBTQIA+ entrepreneur shaped the vision and values behind the establishment you created?
Growing up, I was the only lesbian in our family. I had to explore and discover my identity on my own. I used to attend WLW or women-loving-women parties and eventually organized my own. As I grew older, I realized that maybe it’s time to be the “ate” or mother to younger LGBTs and do my best to guide them—to be the role model I was looking for when I was young. I started doing that through @TanginaTibs on Twitter, sharing what I’ve learned and my musings about living as a lesbian.
When we opened FFTG, people who frequent our cafe started opening up to us, asking for advice about life and love. We try our best to become good examples so they can pay it forward to others. I wanted FFTG Cafe to be not just ours, but also for anyone looking for a space to be themselves, bask in the quiet afternoons, and come together and celebrate.
We also learned that a safe space is not just a literal space; it could also be a community. I didn’t have much of this growing up. So, now that I do, I would like to share it with as many people as possible.
What are the challenges you’ve experienced while running and maintaining this business? Can you share some triumphs as well?
We’ve received immense support from everyone since we opened. Love was not low in the cafe. We were only 15 people when we started our Drag Race PH viewing parties. It eventually grew so much that we had to do drag shows outside the cafe. However, I would like to think that the real triumph we’ve experienced, and are still experiencing, is when people come back. It’s not a question of whether they love it here or not—it’s just that we are loved.
Please share your favorite stories or memories from FFTG drag shows.
Our drag shows are very intimate. They can see the queens up close and witness the amazing humor they don’t see elsewhere. It’s the little bits of interactions the queens and the audience get. My favorite moments came when we moved from inside the cafe to in front of it.
O-A once rode a tricycle as an outro to a song, Mrs. Tan rode a jeep [full-on sabit style, and] when O-A and Aries Night did a duet and walked away. We also had a Christmas party, asking people to bring food and gifts. But my favorite would be our anniversary party. From 15 people during the first viewing party, our attendees last February 10 were close to 250.
Any advice to business owners interested in creating spaces that support and uplift our community?
Don’t be afraid to go for it. Starting a business won’t be easy, but it’s worth it. I wouldn’t be able to meet some of the people in my life right now if not for FFTG, and I love them all so dearly. More than making business, though it is important, community building is so rewarding. It will be the bread and butter of your business. Grow your business by trying new things and making your customers happy, but please make sure that your intentions are genuine. Some people only do it because of the hype and quick cash. If you want to organize drag shows, make sure you understand the art of drag and what it takes to be a drag queen so you know how to take care of them. Make sure to hold space for them to do their magic.
Photos: FFTG (via Instagram)
