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Lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly), one of Auntie Ning’s signature dishes (Photo courtesy Auntie Ning’s)
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(From left) Justin Shaw, Frederico Enriquez and Zach Brenner founded Auntie Ning’s in 2019 before passing ownership of the business to Enriquez. (File photo by Monica Escamilla)
At the beginning of the year, Frederico Enriquez, chef and owner of Auntie Ning’s, was at a crossroads. He had been operating his Filipino food truck and drawing on his family’s recipe and traditions since 2019, but the journey has been filled with ups and downs.
“Nothing had worked out, nothing was working out,” Enriquez says.
Originally launching the business with friends as a scrappy startup six years ago, Enriquez has sold lumpia and pancit from beneath a tent; prepared food in the commissary kitchen at the collaborative Market on Meadow during the pandemic; had mechanical issues with his trailer and a generator stolen; and most recently was part of the local ghost kitchen ChefSuite, which is set to close in July. He has experienced lulls in business and late nights, handled pivots, practiced patience, and, despite feeling like he was about to lose it all, persevered.
Earlier this year, “I didn’t know where I was going to go, I didn’t know what I was going to do, “ Enriquez says. “I was just literally praying and praying, praying all the time, praying every night.”
Then he got an unexpected call from friends Rodney and Kristin Hobday. Enriquez had previously worked with Kristin at the Defense Commissary Agency in Prince George while operating Auntie Ning’s as a side gig, and the Hobdays’ daughter is one of Auntie Ning’s long-term employees.
“They were like, ‘Hey, we think we can partner up,’” Enriquez says. It was the moment he had been manifesting. “I cried, because one, God had answered my prayers, and two, I get to continue doing what I love.”
The trio of owners aim to open the doors of Auntie Ning’s Filipino Food at 15 E. Brookland Park Blvd. in Richmond’s North Side by mid-July, offering lunch and dinner service. The restaurant is settling into the former Smoky Mug space as the cafe-barbecue concept prepares to reopen in a new location down the street at 2930 North Ave.
“Fred and his family are really important to us,” Kristin says. “Our daughter has been working for him since we were co-workers for the federal government. We wanted to see him succeed, and he was struggling.
“He said, ‘Hey, I don’t know what I’m going to do. We have a great product, a great following, I just can’t get above how much we have to pay out just to be a business,’” she continues. “We prayed about it and talked about it and said we thought this was what God was telling us to do: Believe in Fred.”
A military family, the Hobdays have bounced around, living in North Carolina, New York and Ohio and overseas in Japan, then relocating to Richmond in 2019. They first tried food from Auntie Ning’s and quickly became fans during a potluck at Kristin and Enriquez’s office. Their daughter started working on the food truck shortly after, and their families have remained friends ever since.
“Between the three of us, you’ve got a minority-owned, a woman-owned and veteran-owned business,” says Rodney, a retired Marine. “We just thought, he’s at a point where we know this can succeed given the right resources.”
With a more secure, less nomadic kitchen and a supportive team behind him, Enriquez is ready for a fresh beginning. Diners can expect the familiar Filipino specialties Auntie’s Ning has become known for, including lumpia, lechon kawali, pancit and chicken adobo, along with new additions and nearly double the number of vegan offerings. They will initially serve coffee, boba tea and local pastries in the morning, with the goal of introducing Filipino breakfast items down the line.
Noting they will take things slowly with a soft opening phase before hosting an official debut later this summer, Rodney says, “This is the culmination of the six years [of operations], so we would love for the grand opening to be the grand opening, all kinks out.”
In recent days, Enriquez has been spending time with his family in Virginia Beach, where he grew up, reimmersing himself in his heritage and gaining inspiration for the forthcoming brick-and-mortar business, named for his mother, Luningning “Ning” Enriquez. In Filipino culture, “We say Auntie and Uncle instead of Mrs. or Mr.,” he explains.
Cooking runs in the family. Enriquez’s aunt opened a restaurant in Hampton Roads in 1991, and it was one of the few Filipino restaurants in the area at the time. “It’s never been about the money,” he says, “it was always about sharing my culture with Richmond, bringing it here. And then it became my passion for cooking, then it became about my customer base, and then it eventually turned into what now I believe is my calling.”
Another facet of the vision for Auntie Ning’s is to feed the unhoused population on a consistent basis. The owners plan to host community days where they will open the enclosed grassy area next to the restaurant and serve free meals. “We just want to put on blast, say, ‘Anybody who needs help right now, no questions asked, come on in,’” Enriquez says.
Kristin says assisting the unhoused was the foundation for one of the first times she and Enriquez bonded outside of work. A few winters ago, she mentioned to him that she was going to hand out hot meals, and he said he would join her.
“That was one of those things, I knew where his heart was immediately,” she says. “We want to be able to give back, and not two years from now. We want to start doing that immediately. Some people struggle a little less than some folks, and I think everyone should be taking care of other people.”
With the restaurant currently under an 18-month lease, the owners’ goal is to purchase the building and plant roots in the neighborhood. With a focus on community, they are also aiming to integrate family-oriented activities and host weekend markets.
Despite the hurdles to get here, Enriquez says he’s had bright spots that shine light on the dark days, moments that remind him, “You’re right where you belong,” including the time a customer told him, “Your food touched me and brought back memories” and an occasion not long ago where he served a Lola, or Filipino grandmother, her last meal.
“Community, the culture, the following, my love for cooking, and my faith and my family and friends, that’s why I’ve kept going on,” he says. “That’s why I still do this.”
Follow Auntie Ning’s on Instagram for updates on the restaurant opening date and hours of operation.
