Located in Manila’s Entertainment City, City of Dreams Manila is a large integrated resort with a vibrant dining scene. Its kitchens serve hundreds of guests across restaurants as well as thousands of employees working across the property each day.
Within this fast paced environment, Chef Jason Rickard, who leads the Employee Dining Room, and Chef Dusadee Tindoy, who oversees All Day Dining, have transformed how their teams approach food waste. By combining strong kitchen leadership with Winnow’s food waste tracking technology, they have achieved a 73% reduction in food waste, saving an estimated ₱2.5 million annually while building a more efficient and sustainable kitchen culture.
From Kitchen Inspiration to Culinary Leadership
For Tindoy, the journey into the culinary world began at home. “I first saw my mom cooking in the kitchen at home” he recalls. “That inspired me to take culinary school.” After completing his culinary studies in the Philippines, Tindoy gained experience across several hospitality properties before joining the pre opening team at City of Dreams Manila. Rickard began his culinary career in 2007, working in several hospitality kitchens and gaining experience in high volume operations. Today he leads the Employee Dining Room kitchen, where his team prepares meals for thousands of employees working across the resort.
When Winnow was introduced at City of Dreams Manila, the system quickly highlighted one of the biggest causes of waste: overproduction. In the past, dishes were often prepared in large batches to ensure food was always available for guests. Winnow’s data showed that much of this food was not being served.
“Before the team might cook 20 or even 30 kilos of chicken at once,” Tindoy explains. “Now we cook smaller batches, about five kilos. If we run out, we cook again.”
This approach keeps food fresh while significantly reducing excess production.
Tindoy reviews Winnow’s daily reports, comparing waste levels with guest covers and revenue to better understand how production aligns with demand. “It shows us how much we wasted everyday, so we can adjust what we cook accordingly,” he says.
For Chef Rickard, the challenge lies in the scale of the Employee Dining Room operation. With thousands of meals served daily, even small adjustments can make a major difference.
“Because we serve so many people, even small improvements can reduce a lot of waste,” he says.
Rickard and his team use Winnow’s reports to track which dishes consistently generate leftovers. When they identify a pattern, they adjust the menu accordingly. The team also introduced monthly employee surveys so staff can share feedback on their favourite meals. Understanding employee preferences helps the kitchen plan menus that are more likely to be enjoyed and less likely to be wasted.
Note: Results are calculated as a 73% reduction in total food waste across All Day Dining and the Employee Dining Room, comparing 2025 performance to baseline periods (4–17 March 2024 for All Day Dining; 29 March–25 April 2021 and 7–13 June 2021 for the Employee Dining Room, covering main kitchen and plate waste systems respectively). Financial savings are annualised based on 2025 performance.
Portion control has also become an important strategy in the Employee Dining Room. Meals are served in moderate portions, and employees are free to return for seconds if they want more.
“If they want more, they can come back,” Rickard says. “Starting with smaller portions helps reduce plate waste.”
In the All Day Dining kitchen, Tindoy and his team have focused on repurposing ingredients where possible. Breakfast pastries such as croissants are transformed into desserts like bread and butter pudding, while leftover rice is used to prepare fried rice for later service.
“Before, once food came off the buffet, it was often thrown away,” Tindoy says. “Now we think about how it can be used again.”
Both chefs emphasise that technology alone does not reduce food waste. Success depends on engaging the entire kitchen team. New staff are trained on how to use the Winnow system and understand why tracking waste is important. The chefs also reinforce core kitchen practices such as First In First Out inventory management and cooking based on actual demand rather than assumptions.
For chefs looking to reduce food waste in their own kitchens, both leaders offer simple advice: start by measuring it.
“You have to measure waste first: Once you measure it, you can control it.” Tindoy says.
Rickard adds that understanding the financial impact can help teams stay focused.