Three years into running a Japanese restaurant startup in Dubai, brothers Nico and Karl De Guzman are now sharing what they learned — including the mistakes — with thousands of Filipino entrepreneurs back home.
The two appeared as panelists at the Philippine Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (PSME) Business Expo on May 22, 2026, speaking before an audience of 12,000 entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners at one of the country’s most prominent annual business gatherings. Their discussion, titled “The Overseas Filipino Advantage: What Working Overseas Teaches about Entrepreneurship,” covered the realities of building a business abroad with limited industry experience.
Karl De Guzman, who serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of IchiRyu Ramen House, traced his decision to leave corporate life to a moment of personal reckoning. “The last job I had was senior account director for an agency, but then I was thinking, my kids are growing, is that really something I wanted to do my entire life? I don’t see my family that much because my job is into events and it takes so much time. Why not be the boss of my own company?” he said.
His brother Nico, who holds the roles of Chairman and Chief Design Officer, was candid about the steep learning curve the brothers faced when they launched the restaurant. “We did a lot of mistakes at first. We have a little background in a restaurant because we used to work in fastfood chains and Chef Touru has experience running a restaurant. The good thing is we are willing to learn. We are open to adapt. Not all the things you will try will work. Find that sweet spot that works,” he said.
Beyond the operational challenges, Karl pointed to workforce management as one of the most human — and most demanding — aspects of running a business overseas. “The challenging part is handling the manpower. When they go to a different country, they have no family members. It’s you, as their family. So we treat them as a family member. We make sure that no matter what happens, there is someone here who’s helping them,” he said.
IchiRyu is part of a broader business portfolio the De Guzman brothers operate in the UAE alongside their older sibling, Executive Chef Touru De Guzman. The three co-own five companies: IchiRyu Ramen House, Japanese food brand Tako Ichiban House, clothing label House of Hannya, events firm Okiru, and Kizuna General Trading.
IchiRyu currently operates two Dubai locations — its Jumeirah 1 branch, which marked its third anniversary on May 18, and its Dubai Marina branch, which opened less than a year ago. Two more are in the pipeline for 2026: a third Dubai outlet at Jumeirah Village Circle, designed around the aesthetics of Japan’s Showa era and slated to open in September, and the brand’s first international location in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan.
The Chichibu branch sits along Bamba Street, a cobblestone stretch known for its blend of traditional and modern architecture, a three-minute walk from the 2,100-year-old Chichibu Shrine and seven minutes on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station. It is set to open on June 27, 2026.
With the Middle East facing ongoing instability, Nico said the brothers have chosen to focus on what remains within their control. “Stop thinking about things you cannot control; especially with what’s happening to us in the Middle East now. These are some unique times and we cannot do anything about it. What we can do is how we react to it. We just make sure that our staff are safe and our livelihood is secure. Together, we can survive this,” he said.
Karl closed with a message aimed directly at Filipinos who feel they may have missed their window. “I was 46 years old when we started our business but it’s never too late. If we did it, you can, too. Believe us, there’s nothing special about us. We are ordinary people as well. One day, who knows, you’ll be here as a panelist and we’ll be the one listening to your stories,” he said.
