For two nights only, 12/10 came back into our lives—and boy were we grateful
Those of us who have dined at 12/10 were devastated by their closure during this pandemic, left longing for a bite of buttery uni toast, toro y foie onigiri, mackerel with almond milk, or karaage with charred eggplant. Whatever your favourite dishes may have been, the desire for another bite simply grew stronger as the days flew by.
Much to our delight, the restaurant surprised us with a pop-up hosted in Kazunori, featuring staple dishes on 12/10’s menu and new items as well. Within minutes, the two-night event was sold out (no surprise there). With the massive influx of support and adoration from their many loyal patrons, we hope to see more of 12/10 soon.
There are indeed risks to anticipate when running a pop-up dinner experience and recreating your restaurant's spirit at a location outside of your own. The art of pop-up restaurants is hard to master, but has proven to be an experience highly coveted by diners worldwide.
We caught up with the husband-and-wife team behind the restaurant Thea de Rivera and Gab Bustos to hear about their learnings over the past year, what it takes to make a pop-up click, and to find out what they see for themselves in the near future.
What was it like to close 12/10 during the pandemic? Tell us about the emotions you experienced, the lessons learned, and what you pivoted to doing during the pandemic after closing the restaurant.
Considering 12/10 was to turn six years old in 2020, closing it down indefinitely due to the pandemic wasn't an easy feat. Just like all the establishments that had to work their way around the early stages of the lockdown, we resorted to several different strategies to keep things afloat. Of course, we wouldn’t give up without a fight – we set up an online store, rolled out different takeaway options, developed a shortbread bar line, we even explored the idea of catering to private dinners!
Ultimately, when the waves of COVID-19 challenges kept coming one after the other, we had to step back and assess how things could still be beneficial for all. So while we could still afford to settle all supplier balances, to give all the employees all the benefits that are due them, we decided to take an indefinite breather. The last thing we wanted to happen was to let this pandemic suck the life out of what we’ve built over the past years.
It was a tough and emotional series of events. However, we strongly held on to the idea that this is not the end for 12/10. After closing down shop in Guijo St, we found ourselves in an even deeper relationship with food and beverages. We decided to continue to grow this love for food and hospitality in the opportunities that have come along our way.
If there’s anything we’ve picked up from this hibernation and from the pop-up, it’s that 12/10 has been able to establish an experience that people will always seek out. We’re excited to see where and how we can bring this experience back.
See also: What Does it Take to Make a 4-Hands Dinner Successful?
