Leo Alquiros discovered his love for food at a young age in Lucena City, Quezon Province in the Philippines, where he cooked and sold homemade dishes as a teenager. After immigrating to the United States in the early 1990s, he spent eight years working in corporate food research and development while building a small catering business through word of mouth within the Filipino community.

In 1999, Leo opened the first Tropical Hut Philippine Cuisine in Old Bridge, New Jersey. What began as a small family business has since grown to multiple locations across New Jersey and New York through partnerships with Jun Sanchez, Ramil Sanchez, and Jay Umali.

At the heart of Tropical Hut is a simple belief: food is best enjoyed when shared with others.