“One of my childhood dreams was to grow up surrounded by food. It draws back to a simpler time in my life, when my mother, the working goddess that she is, would come home from work with her meal, only to share it with us kids. I grew up dreaming that one day, when I was working and could stand on my own, I’d take my mother out to eat, to let her enjoy all the good food she once shared with me. In so many ways, I think I got to do that now,” shared Mega Nancy, our Head of Banquet & Sales. How so? we asked her, and this is her story.
What brought you here? How did it start?
“I was quite an introvert as a child. My hands would literally shake when I had to speak in front of others. I didn’t have many friends, but deep down, I always wanted to change that. That’s why I chose to major in Communication in college. Who said talking is easy, right? Around that time, I also started going to music festivals and concerts. Something I ended up loving more than I expected. I would always wonder, how do people pull that off? I was so curious. Eventually, the shy girl decided to volunteer at events, just to understand how things worked behind the scenes. That’s when I realized I wanted to work in a people-focused company. Long story short, I graduated, applied to BIKO, got accepted, and here I am.”
Wow. But Banquet, really?
“I didn’t see it coming either! Back then, we didn’t even have a dedicated Banquet team yet. I was in Public Relations, handling customers on-site. When Silk Bistro opened in 2021, suddenly we had a bunch of clients asking if they could hold wedding receptions there. And you know how extra BIKO can be. We said yes and figured it out, fast. I still remember how nervous I was handling BIKO’s very first wedding project. But we pulled it off, thankfully. From there, more clients started coming in, from weddings to corporate gatherings and birthday parties, across all BIKO outlets. Now, our Banquet & Sales team works hand in hand with PR, fully dedicated to catering our customers’ private events.”
How’s your day-to-day?
“I meet people,” she laughs, then pauses. “That’s the short version. Basically, I’m the middleman (or middle woman, ehm) bridging BIKO and our clients. To do that, I have to know all our outlets inside out: how they run, what we have, what we can offer… then turn all that into packages that actually fit what our clients need. That’s the paperwork part. Then comes the tricky bit, handling multiple clients with totally different needs, all at once… while my hands are only two. So, what do you do? You build a team. You shape it. You make sure everyone can work together so we can cater to customers on a faster, larger scale. That’s the juggling act.” She shrugs lightly. “So… yeah.”
Do you like it, though?
“I do, I do, I do.” We both laughed as she said-yes-to-the-proposal. “I think the nature of my work—being in service—is rewarding in its own way. It’s not for everyone, because yes, it can be really draining at times. But when you put your heart into making people happy, that happiness comes back to you. Sounds cliché, I know,” she smiles, “but it is what it is. You kind of have to experience it to understand.”
How do you get by, though? Like you said, it can be draining at times.
“Hm,” she pauses for a moment. “I never really gave it much thought. I just take it one day at a time. You kind of get used to it, I guess. But having a strong, like-minded team behind you really matters. We keep filling each other’s cup. When it comes to service, it’s like stepping into the unknown, you know. No matter how well you prepare, there’s always room for surprises. And with that, I’ve learned to let go a little when things don't go as planned. To stay bold, to trust my gut, to improvise. All the things you can’t do, really, without having fun along the way.”
What do you live by? Something you hold on to in life?
“When you do good things, they somehow find their way back to you. But honestly, it’s not always easy. There are days when doing good just means showing up, even when I barely have the energy to give a hundred percent. Being here taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes. It happens. What matters is that we learn from them, and keep going with good intentions.”
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Now that we're entering wedding-and-whatever season, reach her (click here) for any of your function inquiries. She'll make sure to take good care of you!
