OUR STORY

KANTO began with a simple dream shared by husband and wife, John and Mary Jo.

Both grew up in 𝗣𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮—widely recognized as 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀. They were surrounded by bold flavors and family members who loved to cook as part of everyday life, family gatherings, and town fiestas that brought people together.

As college sweethearts who loved to cook and explore different foods together, many of their best memories were spent at a 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼—a street corner filled with Filipino street food like barbecue, fish balls, kikiam, kwek-kwek, isaw, balut, and noodle soups. Those moments sparked a dream they carried with them for years: 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻.

Life first took them on different paths.

John is a U.S. Army Veteran. He served nine years as an Infantryman, including a deployment to Djibouti, Africa, in 2019. Following his military service, he continued serving the community with the New Jersey State Police for four years.

Mary Jo followed her passion for cooking, studying Culinary and Pastry Arts in the Philippines, and later gained professional experience as a line chef in Massachusetts, where she refined her skills and developed a deep love for sharing Filipino cuisine.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝗻 2024, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆—𝗞𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻. The journey wasn’t easy; they faced challenges that tested their patience and perseverance. But through every difficulty, their faith, dedication, and hard work kept their vision alive.

Today, KANTO continues to grow, bringing the vibrant flavors of the Philippines to festivals, community events, corporate gatherings, private catering, and cultural celebrations across 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘆, 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘀𝘆𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲.

And this is only the beginning. With God’s grace, their mission is to bring KANTO across the United States.