Grow Your Business

Nearly 30 years after it opened its first store in Cebu City, Julie’s Bakeshop has now reached hundreds of stores nationwide, a remarkable feat for a bakeshop that only started as a neighborhood venture meant to supply the needs of a related canteen business .

In the Philippines, bakeshops  are found in nearly every street or corner. Althugh Red Ribbon and Goldilocks are among the  country's most popular brands, Julie's Bakeshop of the Gandianco family now claims dominance as the the country's largest bread and pastry-maker in terms of number of outlets.

Armed with a secret recipe, both in kneading the dough and doing business, Julie's Bakeshop rightfully holds the "national" bakeshop title. It now has three commissaries in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to support the needs of its stores.

Joseph Gandianco, chief executive officer and second-generation owner of Julie’s Bakeshop, relates that there are five values that an entrepreneur who wants to enter the bakery business must keep in mind:

1.    Hands-on

Like all other businesses, the owner must be hands-on in running the bakery – from sourcing of ingredients, marketing, product development, and choosing the locations. Just like kneading dough, getting your hands dirty will let you feel the texture of the dough which will tell you if  it is too soft or too dry.

“You have to work hard for the bakery to succeed and grow. If you will let the bakeshop just run on its own, nothing will happen. But if you are hands-on, you will know what will be good for your business,” Gandianco said.

2.    Innovation

Anybody who is serious in his venture knows the value of innovation. In a saturated industry such as bread-making, innovation will set apart a business from the rest. “While our competitors are always [monitoring us and our products], we continue to innovate with existing products to make them new,” Gandianco said.

Producing better and innovative products is not enough. Service must also be topnotch. “If people see that your staff are wearing proper uniforms, observe cleanliness, and offer good service, people will keep coming back to your bakeshop. Sometimes, if all products are the same, the customer will choose a store that has  the better service,” Gandianco said.

4.    Quality

Probably the most important aspect of any retail business is the quality of your products. In the bakeshop business, quality bread is equal to patronage. “Not only are our bread affordable, they are also made of good quality. From the ingredients to the process, we make sure that our breads are made in the best possible way,” Gandianco said.

5.    People Management

A happy employee is more likely to create more sales and give better service compared to one that is grumbling. “You should always learn how to manage your people. Make sure that they follow the rules and regulations, especially the procedures on how to handle the products. As we are involved in food production, we are conscious of the sensitive and delicate nature of our business. Proper management of people will ensure that there is also efficient movement in the work area,” Gandianco said.

Julie’s Franchise Corp. – Cebu Office
C. Padilla Street, Duljo Fatima, Cebu City
(032) 261.7117 – 19 (connecting all departments)

Julie’s Franchise Corp. – Pasig Office
Lot 1 Block 1 Amang Rodriguez Avenue,
corner JRA Subdivision, Rosario, Pasig City
(02) 643.7455 / (02) 643.5024
(02) 642 – 2583
www.juliesbakeshop.com.ph