Come 10 a.m. on Saturdays, there’s already a line outside Kanto Fiesta, the new Filipino food pop-up that sits outside the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub on Park Street. Though they are only open once a week, people from all over town place their orders days in advance, which starts the day off with a steady flow of prepaid orders of pancit and adobo (chicken and pork) bowls, sides of lumpia, the weekend special, and more.
Owned by Madison couple Nik and Camille Poliarco, Kanto Fiesta (“Block Party”) has only been open for a month, but already, their business has attracted a regular customer base. Whether it’s members of PAMANA (Madison’s Filipino cultural organization), employees at nearby establishments, or even old family friends of the Poliarcos, all are welcome — and the Poliarcos make an effort to learn all of their names.
Nik Poliarco has lived in Madison since he was 10 years old, and while the Filipino community here has always been strong, there are few opportunities to eat Filipino cuisine outside of the home.
“Madison used to have a Filipino restaurant a long time ago, but it didn’t last,” he explained. The lack of Filipino joints only exacerbates feelings of homesickness. “When we go back, when we’re on vacation to visit family, they always prepare so much food. It’s like a fiesta.”
When Camille Poliarco joined him in the U.S. 10 years ago, she noticed the same absence. Every time the foodie couple attended international food fairs like Taste of Madison, there was no representation of Filipino food.
A lifelong lover of cooking and a former food industry worker, C. Poliarco wanted to change this. She began bringing Filipino food to work and inviting friends over for dinner. “It’s open doors for everybody,” she beamed. “That’s how we grew up, right? Everyone is welcome. It’s like a fiesta at the house.”
Eventually, people began asking when the husband-and-wife duo would formalize their food operation, encouraging them to open up their own business. In January of this year, the Poliarcos decided to take the leap, and started the process of researching recipes, taste testing food, and searching for a shared kitchen.
They struck their luck with The Hub, which supports small business owners of color in the Madison area to get their start.
“We reached out right away and we toured their shared kitchen, and they were the ones who suggested that we do a pop up,” Camille Poliarco explained. “They really put your name out there. They really help you.”
With a kitchen to work out of, it was time for the Poliarcos to figure out what dishes they’d like to serve. They invited friends of different cultures to come taste test food items, who then gave them honest feedback about what did and didn’t work.
“We really invested in our recipes,” Camille Poliarco said, adding that the best thing about Filipino cuisine is its adaptations, especially on dishes from different cultures. “We always put a twist on it.”
The Poliarcos spent the first half of 2025 getting everything finalized, including acquiring the necessary paperwork to operate as a small business. “In the Philippines, it’s not a lot of money on the line. But [in the U.S.], in the food industry, you have to invest a lot,” C. Poliarco said.
Come June, it was time to launch Kanto Fiesta. But even with their community cheering them on, they still had their doubts.
“When we were starting out, we were worried about whether or not the Filipino community would accept us,” Camille Poliarco explained. “Are they gonna accept us too? Are they gonna like our food?”
As it turns out, the culinary duo had little to worry about. “People have been so supportive,” Nik Poliarco said. “We’ve always sold out every single week so far.”
Because of Kanto Fiesta’s setup outside The Hub, customers can get swiped into the building to enjoy their food away from the summer heat. When things are particularly busy, it reminds the couple of gatherings in the Philippines, abuzz with laughter.
“You’ll see [customers], when they see each other they’ll be like, ‘How are you! It’s been so long.’ It’s so happy,” Camille Poliarco said.
She continued: “Our exhaustion goes away. The food industry is very tiring, from prepping ingredients, to cooking, to setting up the tent. When you see that they find your food delicious and it’s loud in The Hub, it’s super rewarding.”
With a love and appreciation this big, it’s hard for the Poliarcos to turn down orders—even those that fall outside their regular 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday hours. Sometimes, a customer will message Kanto Fiesta with a big order during the week, which the duo will accept, and even deliver straight to their door.
“Some Filipinos know how to cook and some don’t. They work a lot and crave [dishes from home] and we just want to be there for them,” Nik Poliarco said. “They deserve it. They know where to go.”
Even with just a month under their belt, it’s hard for the Poliarcos not to dream of something bigger that will serve a larger number of customers.
“We always discuss the pros and cons of a food truck [versus] just renting one of these [spots],” Nik Poliarco said. “We’re still getting there. We want to invest in one stable place.”
In the long term, Poliarcos hopes to have a sit-down restaurant that also features a takeout stall, karaoke, and a barbecue grill—all staples of a Filipino gathering.
Specifically, Camille Poliarco hopes that they can be a place that strengthens and celebrates Madison’s Filipino community.
“If it’s your grandmother’s 60th birthday, it would take place there,” she muses. “[Madison isn’t] like the Philippines, [where you can] take a jeep and you’re at the restaurant. Maybe there’s three days a week where it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s go to Nik and Camille’s restaurant and let’s grab dinner there.’”
For now, after a long, gratifying day of working the pop-up stand, Nik, Camille, and Camille’s mother, Mama Carmen, spend Saturday evenings eating dinner, reviewing the day’s sales, and setting their sights on the next week. What sold well? What special dish should they offer the following week?
Amidst all of Kanto Fiesta’s initial success, the Poliarcos’ reflections are filled with gratitude. “We wish we’d started sooner,” Camille Poliarco said. “I wish we hadn’t doubted ourselves.”
Kanto Fiesta serves food on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside The Hub (2352 S Park St). This coming weekend, from July 11-July 13, they will be at Fete de Marquette at McPike Park (202 S Ingersoll St).
