Small Town Big Business podcast with guest co-hosts Alison Hasler and Russell Williams interviews Aicy Munsell, owner of M.A's Filipino Cuisine in Marion, Illinois. Icy shares how she moved from the Philippines at 21, started the business as a food truck during COVID in 2020 because Filipino food was missing locally, and later opened a restaurant now in its fifth year. She explains Filipino cuisine as a unique blend of influences (including Chinese and Spanish), notes it’s generally not spicy, and highlights popular items like lumpia, chicken adobo, and a top-selling spicy pork belly adobo. The discussion covers sampling to help new customers, made-in-house items sold in a small grocery cooler area, catering options up to 250 people, marketing via Facebook, Google and reviews, and the challenges of getting customers in the door while relying on family and a chef for support.00:00 Podcast Welcome Sponsors00:49 Meet Guest Host Alison01:11 Introducing Aicy Munsell01:49 From Food Truck To Restaurant02:56 Why Start During COVID06:14 Filipino Cuisine Basics08:03 Menu Tips Samples Fusion09:33 How The Kitchen Runs10:48 Team Culture Hospitality16:19 Making Marion Home18:34 Serving The Filipino Community19:57 In Store Grocery Corner20:09 House Made Menu20:55 Local Grocery Partners21:20 Catering Options22:34 Unexpected Best Sellers24:02 Restaurant Challenges25:54 Marketing And Reviews27:25 Serving Students29:48 Supporting Local Eats30:27 Advice For New Owners32:08 Hours And Workload34:55 Why She Keeps Going35:46 Finding Filipino Community36:58 Final Thanks And Wrap Recorded at EThOs Small Business Incubator and Co-working Spaces in Marion, Illinois.https://members.ethosmarion.org/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTOur guest: https://www.facebook.com/m.a.sfilipinocuisine/?tsid=0.12392617292112218&source=result&_rdrSPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:Watermark Auto Group: https://www.watermark.auto/Fowler Heating & Cooling: https://fowlerheatingandcooling.com/Swinford Media Group: https://swinfordpublications.com/Arcadia Wealth Group: https://www.raymondjames.com/arcadiawealthgroupBanterra Bank: https://www.banterra.bank/Southern Illinois Now: https://southernillinoisnow.org/Produced by Union Street Artshttps://www.unionstreetarts.com/Russell Williams: https://www.facebook.com/RussellDeanWilliams/Jennifer Olson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferolson618/Deb Barnett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahrbarnett/#podcast #smalltown