BAUAN, BATANGAS, Philippines—What Jonathan “JD” Diaz had in mind for his restaurant would not have occurred to other aspiring restaurateurs.

The creative 34-year-old turned every scrap material he could lay his hands on into chairs, tables, glass holders, windows and even a bar—the sum of which became a dining place specializing in grilled food.

Diaz, owner and manager of Johanna’s Grille in Barangay Manghinao Proper, decided to put up a restaurant in April 2008 after resigning from work as superintendent for operations at JG Summit.

He named the restaurant after his 2-year-old baby girl.

He then started asking friends if they knew of houses that were being renovated so he could buy unneeded materials that he could use.

Diaz also looked for scrap metal in junk shops, traveling to Tagaytay to purchase “tanlak.”

What used to be the terrace of his parents’ house slowly turned into a 50-square-meter restaurant. He decorated it and used “capiz” for windows and “tanlak” for walls and curtains.

“The construction of the restaurant was easy, what took time was looking for scrap from different towns,” he says.

Diaz claimed that, in making use of scrap to build Johanna’s Grille, he managed to save as much as 50-percent—basing this figure on the expenses of other restaurant owners who built their food establishments using the usual construction materials.

Diaz’s capital only amounted to P120,000.

In the first month of construction, Diaz himself was the one converting “tanlak” into curtains. He later realized that he could not do all the work himself so he hired helpers.

With eight dining tables, a pool table and plastic plates and glasses, he opened his establishment serving grilled burgers and snack items.

His restaurant became a place where his friends would hang out.

His friends were his first customers and they helped spread the news about his cozy restaurant.

They kept suggesting that I should introduce grilled food for breakfast and dinner too, says Diaz.

That prompted him to spruce up his menu, adding dishes such as baby back ribs, sausages, chicken barbecue, crispy tadyang, fries, pasta, tacos and nachos. He also whipped up his own blueberry cheesecake for those who can’t do without dessert.

For only P200, one could indulge on baby back ribs with a cup of rice and side dishes.

Soon, customers started pouring in, and there would not be enough space at the parking lot for all the cars that were driving in.

Diaz says that he loves to cook.

While his four helpers serve the food and beverage to customers, wash the dishes and clean the restaurant, Diaz tends to the cooking. He is the one who goes to the market to buy the food he will be serving to customers.

He admitted that since he opened his restaurant, he seldom had time to play basketball or badminton.

The pressure is always there, he says, but when you love what you are doing, you will ignore it.

He is also inspired by his customers who keep coming back not only because the dishes are affordable, but that they are also delectable.

Diaz claims that some chefs have also been eating at his restaurant, trying to copy his recipe for baby back ribs.

And that’s all right, he says, everyone can cook baby back ribs.