Audrey and Monica's friendship has birthed a wonderful advocacy and it seems as if it's due, in part, to their symbiotic work relationship. Audrey, an investment analyst, is no stranger to the market. Meanwhile, Monica, a 24-year-old art director previously based in New York, has all the know-how necessary to succeed in the creative field. Their love for restaurants doesn't hurt either, as it's fuelled them to reach out to some of their favourite places. 

"We initially chose restaurants that meant something to us – places that you would find us at with our family or friends on the weekend," Audrey explains. "Although, given the reception, we decided to diversify and include as many independent restaurants or neighbourhood favourites that we possibly could." 

As of writing, all their shirts have sold out — and it's easy to see why. Beyond the philanthropy of the cause, Manila Takeout's t-shirts are, simply put, really cool. They aren't gaudy or ostentatious, nor do they rely on the 'cringey' quotes or sordid bedazzlements that have become the marquees of lazily designed t-shirts. They are well designed and nostalgic, creative without being kitsch. And despite collaborating with a variety of artists, all the shirts in their collections have come out as something that is cohesive to the brand, something recognisably "Manila Takeout". 

"Curation is something that Audrey and I excel at," Monica explains "It comes from years of 'having dinner out' and years of working with creatives. In terms of design, I try to balance out the artists by discipline – I’ll have two illustrators, two typographers, and two fine artists. We purposely combine various creative strengths and skills to create interesting collections."

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So far, Manila Takeout has had five releases. "We curate each collection based on our personal experiences at our partner establishments," Audrey says. "Release 2 featuring 12/10, Lagrima, and Made Nice was unofficially called the 'date drop': our favourite neighbourhood places for a night out. Release 4 with Toyo Eatery and Mamou was reminiscent of our more formal dinners, which we then paired with Cibo and Manam as our go-to casual lunch spots."

Audrey adds that the team has been grouping the collections mostly by instinct. "We're very happy that people respond positively to it," she says, although it's a bit of an understatement. Together with their team of interns — Tara, Daphne, and Cams — Manila Takeout has amassed 1.5 million pesos in profit for partner establishments.

Now, they look forward to creating a more sustainable model for the budding enterprise. "We aim to explore the idea of 'takeout' further and examine how the platform can aid smaller F&B businesses, aside from the larger restaurants that we’ve partnered with," Monica shares. "The new concept will remain true, however, to Takeout’s original advocacy of furthering collaboration – we will be introducing new partners, new products, and new industries in the near future."