When industry veteran Cyed Adraincem apologizes for occasionally stumbling over his words during an interview, it is easy to understand why. He had been wide awake since 4:00 a.m. that morning, scrubbing down the pavement outside his soon-to-open restaurant. He explained that he wanted to beat all of the foot traffic to ensure the storefront looked pristine.
Adraincem has channeled that exact same relentless dedication into outfitting Hoy, an upcoming restaurant designed to bring vibrant Filipino street food to New York City within an atmosphere modeled after a bustling Manila night market. Although the establishment has yet to officially open its doors to the general public, it has already generated substantial buzz across the city’s hospitality scene. The project has drawn widespread attention thanks to its loud, off-kilter aesthetic, clever pop-cultural references, and transparent, behind-the-scenes glimpses into its research and development process.
This profile marks the inaugural installment of Getting on the Map, a new editorial series presented by Apple Maps that explores how some of the most creative bars and restaurants in the industry are marketing themselves to stand out in a crowded culinary landscape.
Bringing Filipino Street Food to a Broader Audience
For Adraincem, who boasts nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality industry—including seven years working behind cocktail bars—Hoy is an opportunity to introduce a beloved cuisine to a much wider audience. He believes that Filipino food remains notably underrepresented within the dynamic New York City dining scene.
Rather than aiming for high-end pretension, the menu focuses on accessibility, comfort, and speed. Hoy will serve traditional street food favorites, including barbecue skewers, lumpia, and a selection of distinct sandwiches. The offering is intentionally simple and traditional, elevated by professional chef techniques that Adraincem and his team have honed over years of working in kitchens.
According to Adraincem, the current dining climate in New York demands options that are casual and affordable rather than pretentious or overly formal. People simply want great food and a good drink without the fuss.
The physical design of the space draws inspiration from classic American diners, a format Adraincem deeply admires. By blending the energetic, front-facing counter-service dynamic of a classic diner with the chaotic charm of a Manila night market, the restaurant creates an immersive environment. The kitchen is entirely open, ensuring that the high-energy interactions between staff members flow naturally out into the dining room, keeping the atmosphere lively and engaging for every guest who walks through the door.
Crafting a Unique Visual Identity and Cultural Narrative
The distinctive branding and visual identity for Hoy were developed in collaboration with designer Kristofferson San Pablo, a well-known Los Angeles-based artist who also happens to be Adraincem’s cousin. Together, they formulated a design language rooted in the sensory overload and intense fun of a Manila night market, incorporating vivid colors and visually stimulating elements that avoid becoming overwhelming.
The intricate pattern featured on the restaurant’s walls is adapted from one of the oldest textile patterns in the Philippines, serving as a subtle and sophisticated nod to the founders’ cultural heritage. Inside, shelves stocked with everyday snacks mimic a sari-sari store—the quintessential neighborhood convenience shops typically found on street corners throughout the Philippines, often operated directly out of the owner’s home to sell household essentials.
These shelves also hold well-worn cookbooks passed down from Adraincem’s parents alongside volumes from local culinary favorites, serving as the foundational inspiration for the restaurant’s menu development. Crucially, the branding makes a conscious effort to steer clear of predictable or mainstream Filipino visual tropes, such as the sun and stars from the national flag or traditional barong tagalog garments. Instead, the aesthetic leans into unique cultural touchstones like the novelty "barrel man" souvenir, water buffalo (carabao), and rural farming life.
Adraincem notes that the novelty barrel man provides a fun educational opportunity for patrons unfamiliar with the cultural artifact, which originated as a clever gag gift created by impoverished artisans to earn a living. In addition to these design elements, the restaurant features artwork sourced from local creators in New York and Los Angeles, reinforcing a commitment to supporting community-minded artists.
Merchandising and Navigating Pre-Opening Hurdles
While many restaurants choose to open with a minimalist design and slowly introduce merchandise as they establish their footing, Hoy is taking a comprehensive approach right out of the gate. Adraincem’s extensive background in cocktail bars showed him firsthand how popular restaurant and bar apparel had become, with industry workers and patrons alike proudly wearing shirts representing their favorite hospitality spots. Recognizing merch not only as a powerful community-building tool but also as a secondary revenue stream, Hoy plans to offer an array of items including shirts, hats, tote bags, house slippers, and custom keychains, many of which will be designed in collaboration with independent artists.
Furnishing the physical space, however, has required significant legwork amid a challenging economic climate for independent hospitality ventures. Adraincem has spent countless hours researching prices across major retailers to keep overhead manageable. The restaurant’s interior is also designed to incorporate abundant vegetation to evoke a tropical atmosphere, complete with a makeshift pond crafted from a large planter pot. The team is actively cultivating lemongrass, a calamansi tree, and labuyo chiles in an adjacent garden space, taking advantage of the corner building’s natural sunlight.
Despite careful planning, the path to opening has hit a temporary roadblock due to permitting issues regarding gas lines with New York City’s Department of Buildings, preventing the kitchen from cooking on-site for the time being. Refusing to let the setback stall their momentum, Adraincem and his team decided to open the space to the community through a series of guest residencies. Hoy is currently hosting Queens-based Filipino pastry vendor Arellano Pandesal to handle food offerings while the restaurant serves its beverage program, alongside plans to launch a community marketplace featuring local vendors, friends, and family to build excitement ahead of the official launch.
