Bing and Beth Thomas are embarking on a honeymoon enterprise as they fulfill Beth’s lifelong dream: to operate a Filipino restaurant. Boracay Shores – A Taste of the Philippines opened in Kanab last month, and so far the feedback has been positive as word-of-mouth customers have been pouring in from as far away as Salt Lake City and beyond.
“So far everybody is excited about it,” Bing Thomas said. “So far it’s been a homerun.”
The Thomases were married four years ago, and Beth, a native of the Philippines, has had an unswerving dream for as long as Bing has known her to bring “a taste of the Philippines” – both culinary and cultural – to Southern Utah. It was one of those dreams that seemed way off in the distance, though – after retirement, perhaps. But when an opportunity arose this year to make the dream a reality, the Southern Utah couple decided to go for it.
“I’ve accomplished a lot of things that I’ve wanted to in life,” Bing Thomas said. “Beth has been in a country where having a big dream is not really that reachable for most of the population, and she’s such a beautiful person and so giving and always doing for others that I thought she should be able to accomplish her dream.”
Beth has worked as a caterer and has also cooked professionally in restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, so being the boss in her own kitchen has come naturally. Bing, whose professional focus is child development, is just enjoying learning the fast-paced lifestyle of restaurant ownership as he supports his wife’s dream.
There is quite a large Filipino culture in Southern Utah, he said, and customers have been hearing about the new restaurant from friends far and near. One customer said a friend in Malaysia told him about the restaurant. Patrons have traveled from the St. George area, northern Utah and much further to sample the new restaurant’s offerings.
“We had a busload of tourists from New Jersey come in who were all Filipino,” Bing Thomas said.
A Tennessee native, Bing said he has found, during visits to the Philippines, that the Filipino culture is very similar to the Southern culture he grew up in, which has made him feel right at home as the new co-owner of a Filipino restaurant. Filipinos, like Southern folks, are big on hospitality, generosity and, of course, food.
“When people stop by (in the Philippines), you make food for them,” he said. “It was a lot like the South.”
He added that many folks unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine have a preconceived notion that it’s like Thai food or Indian cuisine – more extreme ethnic food – but they’re pleasantly surprised to find that Filipino flavors are much more moderate.
Offering authentic Filipino cuisine in an atmosphere they’ve strived to make inviting and warm, the Thomases hope customers will walk away from their restaurant having had a true “taste of the Philippines.”
“We just want to provide an inviting atmosphere as well as good food,” Bing Thomas said.
Boracay Shores is located at 18 E. Center St. in Kanab and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To contact the restaurant, call (435) 644-8855.
