Fountainhead franchisee eyes retiree market

Due to the changing lifestyle of today’s Cebuano market, coffee shops have proliferated in the city these days and along with this, more and more entrepreneurs are also starting to explore this kind of business and that includes Fountainhead Bakeshop.

After opening its first coffee shop at the Robinson’s Department Store, Fountainhead recently opened another coffee shop franchise at the Gaisano Tabunok.

Fountainhead has been in the bakery business for about 20 years already and supplies bakery and pastry products in almost all supermarkets in the city. Through recently venturing into the coffee shop business, the company has gradually grown its operations.

Now, Fountainhead operates seven bakeshops and two coffee shops located in Lapu-Lapu’s Marina Mall, Prince Warehouse Club, Ayala Center, SM City, Colon, Ultra Vista Rama, Minglanilla and Gaisano Tabunok.  Of which, five are company owned and the rest are franchised.

According to Em-em A. Abelgas, the franchisee of the Fountainhead Café at the Gaisano Tabunok, her decision to open a coffee shop business was influenced by the boom in the city’s coffee industry. She also thought that since there is no decent coffee shop in Talisay City, it is a very good idea to put up one in Tabunok.

Eyeing the growing foreign retiree market in Talisay as the city now host retirement villages, Abelgas expressed optimism to gain a return of her investment in no time.

With its location at the second level of Gaisano Tabunok, the company as well as its franchisee sees a huge potential of the coffee shop to hit as a food court and playroom area will soon be built in the same level.

“The coffee shop will later on be the center of a food court and a playroom so the crowd and traffic will be very positive for the business,” said Abelgas.

Talisay Mayor Socrates Fernandez who graced the opening of the café expressed that with Fountainhead’s presence in Talisay’s business district, “people here will already have a place to discuss issues of the day as coffee shops are definitely a perfect place for doing that. —Rhia de Pablo

Not only will they boost the city’s revenues through their taxes, Fountainhead will also become an attraction for people from different places to come and visit Gaisano Tabunok.”

Fountainhead café serves different coffee beverages from hot, cold and blended drinks. They also have fresh baked pastries and bakery products.

Fountainhead’s Franchising Director Ramon Torneros said that over other known coffee shop brands in the city; Fountainhead has a competitive advantaged in terms of its pricing, quality of coffee, cakes, and pastries.

“Fountainhead has lower prices compared to other known brands, yet we adhere to quality standards. We are “pangmasa” as our prices are affordable to everybody,” he stressed.

Fountainhead started its franchising venture March of last year. Its franchise fee started at P700, 000 and now it is has reached to about 1.3 million due to the increase of raw materials and bakery products that is included in the whole franchise.

Striving to start a nationwide operation, Fountainhead will soon be opening its first out-of-town branch in Cagayan de Oro this month or on December and it will also be opening another bakeshop in Mandaue this year.

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