To bake bread is to bake success

What's the difference between an ordinary baker and an extraordinary one? Given the same resources, an ordinary baker is most likely to pull out sweet-smelling bread from the kiln while the extraordinary baker, on the other hand, has something greater cooking in the oven: success.

For Julie Gandioco, owner of Julie's Bakeshop who baked fresh ideas for the industry, both came in easy-producing good quality bread and achieving success in her field—as she had incorporated her initial entrepreneurial gleanings and the value of family solidarity in her current enterprise.

Gandioco, who once worked as a seamstress for relatives, friends, and neighbors and a canteen concessionaire while still in high school, had only two major priorities in life: her family and business. When she established the first store of Julie's Bakeshop in Cebu in 1981, she concocted these priorities and got a sweeter slice of life.

“I am very proud of my children. Since day one, they have been there helping me to make possibilities for our business. All was involved thus we moved forward,” said Gandioco, pointing out that she was the starter of the business while her husband and five children are the movers.

Gandioco's brainchild has benefited millions, especially those with a sweet tooth for meryenda, by providing an alternative to high-end breads and pastries. She has also instituted the idea of ubiquity in her business as there seems to be a Julie's branch present in every corner of town.

Julie Gandioco

To date, there are 514 outlets and branches of Julie's Bakeshop nationwide. All Julie's Bakeshops offer a vast variety of snacks hunger-solvers, from ensaymadas to mamons to macaroons to cakes to empanadas. The shops, according to Gandioco, ensure that the ingredients they use are only the finest and that foodstuffs are produced in a clean environment.

Recently, Julie's won, for the second time, the Outstanding Filipino Franchise of the Year from the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA). The franchise is now elevated to the PFA Hall of Fame, joining an elite circle of past winners such as Jollibee, McDonalds, Bench, Marks and Spencer and Max's Restaurant.

Gandioco said that she ultimately owes the success of Julie's to her family, especially her children who were guided by her own principle of practicing unity in whatever undertaking, and their warm customer and employee relations.

“You must have the patience and heart to handle them,” she said. “My first baker who has been with us for all our 25 years is still treating our patrons goodies fresh from the oven.”

The 75-year-old Gandioco, who remains hands-on in dealing with her business is also a Philippine Center of Entrepreneurship most inspiring Cebuano entrepreneur awardee.