As Sunnies Cafe reopens its doors, second-generation leader Eric Thomas Dee reflects on “adulting” Foodee Global’s portfolio and his own journey from growing up in the family business to growing the company.
“I’m not actually going to bite into this because I think it’s too spicy,” says Eric Thomas Dee as he holds up some Spicy Vodka Fusili, a new item on the Sunnies Cafe menu. As Chief Operating Officer of Foodee Global Concepts and a second-generation leader in the family business, Eric has been steadily guiding the company in its next chapter. He takes a mental note to tell the kitchen before the flagship venue officially reopens. For the past three months, Sunnies Cafe on Bonifacio High Street has been boarded up, concealing from curious pedestrians the transformation that has been taking place.
The renovation goes beyond surface-level aesthetics. Sunnies Cafe, born from a collaboration between Foodee and Sunnies Studio, the lifestyle brand co-founded by his brother Eric Enrico Dee, has undergone a thoughtful transformation. When it debuted in 2016, the cafe captured the vibe of the time with its breezy, California-cool ambiance that attracted Manila’s fashion-forward crowd. Now, like many Foodee properties, and even Eric himself, it’s maturing with purpose. While preserving beloved classics like Fried Chicken & Pancakes and Honey Garlic Chicken Rice Bowls, the refreshed menu elevates the concept through a sophisticated fusion of Asian and American cuisines.
“Adulting,” Eric adds another “A” word with a knowing smile. “Everything has been [about] adulting.”
The refresh is part of a larger strategy. “Last year, for Foodee in general, we had a renovation year,” he explains. “We were renovating a lot of our restaurants because they were coming of age.”
Eric’s own journey with the company mirrors this process of growth. “I’ve always been working for the company: summer jobs as a waiter, and then managing the restaurants,” he says. “After college, I worked outside the company, and then was in Malaysia for five years. Met my wife.” Like Foodee restaurants that transform while maintaining their core identity, Eric evolved from summer help to industry innovator while still preserving his hands-on approach to business.
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His time in Malaysia was transformative on both a personal and professional front (not to say which is more important). “I met Todd English through a mutual friend,” Eric notes. After two years of back-and-forth emails with the celebrity chef, they opened Todd English Food Hall in SM Aura in 2012. The venture marked a turning point both for Foodee and Eric’s role within it. The company grew from developing homegrown concepts to also introducing international brands, including Tim Ho Wan that same year.
“When my father started Foodee, it was all about creating original concepts. When I joined, we began bringing in established brands,” he explains. The revolution positioned Foodee at the forefront of Manila’s increasingly sophisticated culinary landscape. “The first location [of Todd English Food Hall] was New York, and the second location was the Philippines. People were like: Why not Singapore, Japan, or Hong Kong? Why the Philippines?”
“I think that really ignited the F&B scene in the Philippines. We had two-hour lines, 1,400 covers a day,” he recalls. Beyond the immediate commercial success, it also signaled something profound about the evolution of Filipino dining culture. “That gave confidence to how the Philippine F&B scene is.”
While Todd English Food Hall isn’t around anymore, its legacy lives on through Pound, a Foodee original concept with Eric at the helm of development. What began as a burger station within the food hall evolved into a standalone burger restaurant and then further developed into something entirely distinctive: micro gastropubs serving everything from gourmet burgers to pizzas, steaks, and rice dishes. Like Sunnies Cafe, Pound locations throughout Metro Manila are undergoing their own renovation as Foodee navigates another inflection point.
“A lot of our restaurants are reaching ‘of age’–above five or six years–without renovations,” Eric explains. “After renovations, when we reopen, it’s like opening a new store as far as business is concerned. I mean foot traffic increases, volume increases. We are very happy with the outcome of our renovations.”
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With the refreshed spaces performing well, Eric and Foodee are once again looking outward. “Now we’re bringing in new brands again. We’re very excited to start that up again because we’ve stabilized our internal portfolio.” He hints at an upcoming coffee concept, among other ventures on the horizon.
As our quick conversation wraps up, Eric’s attention returns to the immediate task at hand: Sunnies Cafe’s reopening. For the second-generation restaurateur mastering the art of renewal, the pleasure seems to be in the details, like making sure that spicy pasta is perfectly calibrated before the first guest walks through the door. P.S. It was.
This article was originally published in our April 2025 issue.
Photography by Kim Santos of KLIQ, Inc.
