SINGAPORE: Several news outlets reported this week that another Food & Beverage establishment from the Philippines, Mary Grace Café, is preparing to open an outlet in Singapore. The eatery has more than 140 shops in its homeland, and is famous for cheese rolls and ensaimada, a pastry topped with Edam cheese imported from Holland.
Details of when and where the café will be are still under wraps, but when Mary Grace held pop-ups in Singapore last month, eatbook.sg said that due to an overwhelming demand, its items sold out quickly. More pop-ups are in the works toward the end of the year, and the actual café is expected to open in 2026.
The café’s plans to expand in the city-state come on the heels of Shawarma Shack, which opened its first outlet at Toa Payoh on July 30. The second one, moreover, is set to open at Poiz Centre at Potong Pasir as soon as the end of this month.
Another F&B brand from the Philippines, Kuya J, has also announced they’ll be expanding in Singapore, and some have been around for years (we’re looking at you, Tapa King!). However, it remains to be seen whether any of them will follow in the footsteps of the fast food chain Jollibee, which found success in Singapore and has gone on to be somewhat of a global phenomenon.
Jollibee: the OG
Jollibee, which started as an ice-cream parlour in the Philippines in 1975, opened its first outlet in Singapore in 1994. However, it may have been an idea whose time had not yet come, because the Katong outlet closed just two years later.
The chain was luckier the second time around when it opened at Lucky Plaza in 2013. Jollibee has at least 17 stores, including two drive-thrus.
It has seen its clientele in Singapore change over the years, pointed out Dennis Flores, the president of Jollibee Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia, in 2023.
He said that Jollibee has gone from “serving primarily Filipinos, to now serving the mainstream Singaporean market, who compose a predominant majority of our customers today.”
To date, the Jollibee Group now has an impressive 6,800 stores across 33 countries, though this encompasses other brands it owns.
Our forecast
As for the chances of other Filipino brands’ F&B finding success, our fearless forecast is… It’s possible.
Filipino food is having a moment, as they say. And while shawarma and cheese rolls aren’t exactly typical Filipino fare, neither are burgers, fried chicken, and spaghetti.
On the other hand, Jollibee’s specific take on its menu offerings, such as sweeter spaghetti and more flavourful chicken, is what sets it apart from traditionally bland fast food fare, and so diners across the globe just might find themselves craving for Mary Grace ensaimada or Shawarma Shack’s broasted chicken.
What we can say is: try them for yourself. If you feel that any of the above is the next best thing, let us know! /TISG
Read also: Jollibee — a timeline of success, from local Filipino eatery to acquiring the world
