What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur
outside your own country? In the February
2014 issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing
Journal, we find out from Reynald
Ricafrente. This Filipino sought a position in IT in a New Zealand firm a few
years ago, where he is happy right now. But on the side, he has put up his own
cake shop/restaurant serving Filipino dishes. Proof of a successful concept, he
has expanded the business in Australia as well.
It seems unusual
for someone with your background to be launching a major food business. How did
it all start?
The business simply
started as a small university café called “Café 79” at Unitec Institute of
Technology in Mt. Albert, Auckland, back in March 2010. I love cooking and
baking. So, my business partner, Omar Ramos from Sydney, Australia, encouraged
me to explore the food industry. Now, we have four stores under Gold Ribbon
Foods: Café 79 (which is inside the university and caters to students), Kelston
branch (a full bakeshop/ restaurant), Auckland City branch (a food
court/takeaway), and the Sydney, Australia branch (a full bakeshop/restaurant).
What is the
restaurant business like in New Zealand? What steps did you have to take to put
up the company?
Putting up a Filipino
food business in a foreign country is very challenging indeed! For one, it took
a lot of courage to push through with the plan knowing that it would be a big
risk. We knew we only have a limited market in New Zealand who are familiar
with Filipino products. Note that New Zealand is multi-cultured. The Kiwis and
most of the Europeans are often more into savoury taste. But Asians, like the
Indians, Chinese, Malaysians, and even the islanders love sweets, just like the
Filipinos. So, we did some research and feasibility studies first and the good
thing is we were able to develop and test our products in a small café (Café
79) with a low overhead cost before investing in a bigger place, which is now
our Kelston branch.
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