The 28-year-old Director of Business Development discusses growing up around Antonio’s, creating Sebastian’s, and helping write the restaurant group’s next chapter.
Sebastian’s is the newest name in the Antonio’s Group. But while the recently opened Rockwell restaurant may be new, its namesake has spent most of his life around the family business. Sebastian, or “Basti” as he is better known, the 28-year-old son of founder and chef-patron Tony Boy Escalante, grew up within the Antonio’s compound in Tagaytay.
“I think our whole life was pretty much about the restaurant,” Basti shares with Lifestyle Asia. “I grew up within Antonio’s, so whatever happened there, or whatever my dad was creating, also reflected at home and in the way he brought me up.”
His early exposure to the restaurants gave Basti a natural interest in food and beverage. He enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, where he completed a semester in kitchen fundamentals. The experience gave him a deeper understanding of the work behind a restaurant, while also confirming that his passion lay in the business end.
“My dad actually told me not to go into culinary,” Basti reveals, “but at the time I felt it was the right path. After that first semester, though, I realized I enjoyed the business side more.” He went on to graduate from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management, a path that now informs his work developing concepts and helping guide the growth of Antonio’s Group.
READ ALSO: Opening: Sebastian’s At Rockwell, The New All-Day Restaurant From Antonio’s
In 2022, Basti formally joined Antonio’s Group by managing Pedro the Grocer at San Antonio Plaza. The concept was among the group’s first steps beyond its Tagaytay home and into Metro Manila. There, Basti’s introduction to the business was decidedly hands-on. “I took on the smaller, day-to-day roles of running the business. I worked as deli staff and even stepped in as a manager when we suddenly lost one,” he recalls. The experience taught him about forecasting, inventory, managing people, and the realities faced by each branch.
He has since helped develop and expand concepts including Azela by Balay Dako and Sebastian’s, while becoming more closely involved in the direction of the wider group. Today, as Director of Business Development, he works with the next-generation leadership team to identify new locations, develop concepts, and help determine where the group goes next
READ ALSO: Antonio’s Group Enters A New Chapter With Leadership Transition
Basti Escalante On Antonio’s Next Chapter
Basti Escalante speaks with Lifestyle Asia about finding his place within Antonio’s Group, creating a restaurant that reflects how he likes to dine, and carrying the values his father established into the group’s next chapter.
You grew up surrounded by Antonio’s, but joining the family business was not always certain. What ultimately made you decide to build your career within the group?
Basti: I grew up in Antonio’s, so food and hospitality have always been a big part of my life. But as I got older, I started thinking more seriously about succession and what the next generation of the group could look like. What excited me was realizing I didn’t simply have to follow what my dad had done. There was an opportunity to build on it and find new ways for Antonio’s to become part of people’s lives.
Before becoming Director of Business Development, what roles did you take on within the Antonio’s Group, and how did those experiences prepare you for this new leadership role?
Basti: I’ve been involved in developing newer parts of the group, particularly Pedro the Grocer, Azela, and Sebastian’s. That meant working closely with my dad; Tricia Benedictor, our Food & Beverage and Brand Director; AC Agra, our executive chef; and the rest of the team.
It gave me a better understanding of how you take an idea and turn it into something that makes sense for the business and, more importantly, for our guests.
What does your role as Director of Business Development involve, and what will you be taking greater responsibility for as Antonio’s Group enters this new chapter?
Basti: A lot of my role is thinking about where the group goes next and how the different concepts fit together. Antonio’s, Breakfast at Antonio’s, Azela, Pedro the Grocer, and Sebastian’s all give people different ways to experience the group. As we grow, I’ll be more involved in identifying opportunities and developing concepts that make sense for us.
Growth is important, but it has to be thoughtful. We don’t want to open something just for the sake of opening something.
Sebastian’s carries your name and introduces a new expression of the Antonio’s experience. How involved were you in developing the concept, and what did you want it to bring to the group?
Basti: I was very involved. Since my name is on the restaurant, I wanted it to feel like somewhere I would actually eat.
It actually started as an elevated Breakfast at Antonio’s. As the idea developed, we saw an opportunity to create an all-day restaurant instead. I thought about the places I enjoy when I travel and the kind of restaurant I would want to keep coming back to.
I’m a pretty casual diner. I wanted Sebastian’s to be somewhere you could have breakfast, come back for lunch, have a steak and a bottle of wine for dinner, or drop by for something simple. The food can be serious, but eating there shouldn’t have to be.
As part of the next generation leading Antonio’s Group, what do you want to preserve from what your father built, and what do you hope to introduce or develop for its future?
Basti: The biggest thing I learned from my dad is never to compromise on quality. Whatever concept we create has to stay true to itself. The food, ingredients, service, and the way we take care of our guests are things we can’t compromise on.
I hope to find new ways of expressing those same values. Antonio’s, Breakfast at Antonio’s Azela, Pedro [the Grocer], and Sebastian’s can all be very different, but they should still feel connected. I like the idea of becoming part of people’s everyday lives. With Pedro, maybe kids grow up eating our bacon and ice cream. With Sebastian’s, maybe it becomes the place they regularly go with friends and family.
We can preserve Antonio’s in Tagaytay for exactly what it is while continuing to build around it. I think that’s where the opportunity is for the next generation.
Banner image features Basti Escalante at Sebastian’s, photography by Sonny Thakur, courtesy of the Antonio’s Group
Frequently Asked Questions
Antonio Sebastian “Basti” Escalante is the 28-year-old Director of Business Development of Antonio’s Group. He helps identify new locations and develop restaurant concepts for the group.
Basti studied kitchen fundamentals for one semester at the Culinary Institute of America before graduating from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management.
As Director of Business Development, Basti helps decide where the group expands, which concepts suit particular locations, and what new concepts it should develop.
Sebastian’s is an all-day restaurant in Rockwell named after Basti Escalante. He helped develop it as a relaxed place where guests can visit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or something simple throughout the day.
Basti Escalante formally joined Antonio’s Group in 2022, managing Pedro the Grocer at San Antonio Plaza. He later became involved in concepts including Antonio’s at PGA Cars, Breakfast at Antonio’s in Robinsons Magnolia, Azela by Balay Dako, and Sebastian’s.
