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These past years, Delifrance Philippines of the Jollibee Foods Corp., has been quietly operating in the Metro. It has maintained a loyal clientele that has treated the niche establishment as their own best-kept secret. But now, Delifrance is transforming and taking on a new face—poised to enter a new phase in Philippine dining.

A Place to See and be Seen
A decade ago, Tony Tancaktiong, President of the Jollibee Foods Corporation, went to Singapore and there witnessed the success of a Euro-continental styled cafe known as Delifrance. He somehow saw its connection with the vision of Jollibee Foods Corp. – which was to provide good food and happiness – and proposed bringing this unique dining experience to the Philippines.

However, Delifrance Philippines is not just a spin-off of other branches in the region. “Other Delifrance branches, say in Singapore, work within a ‘bistro-concept’ – meaning that it is more like a restaurant than a cafe. However, we thought that a modern European cafe setting will work better in the Philippines since it’s more casual and less intimidating,” asserts William Tan- Untiong, President of Delifrance Philippines.

To achieve this ambience, Delifrance stores in the Philippines have adapted a modern French look. “We wanted our stores to be classy, relaxing, and upbeat at the same time so we thought of infusing them with elements of Beaux Art and Art Deco.”

Strains of Henri Matisse –a prominent figure of the Baux Art theme, Impressionism—is evident in the expressive colors and controlled lines of the Delifrance murals. Meanwhile, its counter and floor details are reminiscent of Art Deco’s bent towards functional elegance. “Of course, this classy backdrop works very well with the “to see and be seen” mentality of Filipinos—making the shift away from the regional bistro concept all worth it,” shares William. Despite these changes, Delifrance Philippines still retained the core element which makes it stand out—its Euro-continental food offerings.

A Place with stand-out Food for a stand-out crowd
The franchise is famous for its freshly baked signature breads, the baguette and croissant. “Perhaps one reason why these are so popular is because we use premium flour imported from the largest milling company in France– Grand Moulins de Paris– in crafting these pastries. However, people are often misled into thinking that we serve mostly bread, when this isn’t exactly the case,” says Tan-Untiong.

In reality, the precise attention to quality and taste manifested in the Delifrance breads also extends to other European inspired offerings such as pastas, sandwiches and salads. Their bestseller Seafood Pasta and their line of Clubhouse Sandwiches led by the Premiere Clubhouse tops the list. And, being ingrained in the Delifrance tradition of freshness, all these are prepared only upon ordering. “Stale bread and soggy lettuces are definite no-no’s,” quips William.

At present, the no-rice, health-oriented and Euro-continental fare of Delifrance is already widely accepted; but this wasn’t the case when the franchise first started. “Believe it or not, nine years ago, the buzzwords ‘South-beach diet’ and ‘anti-oxidants’ were non-existent. And Filipinos were not really enthusiastic about trying out foreign food – back then, your fusion food stop and favorite Indian resto were still far from even being conceptualized,” shares the Delifrance President. In a way, the advent of this European styled cafe, premeditated the current trend for healthy eating and more ‘globalized’ eating habits.

Delifrance’s attunement to Filipino tastes and trends has spilled over to their increasingly popular line of coffee and espresso beverages; resulting in comparison with top coffee shops in the Metro. William notes that what makes Delifrance coffees stand out is the fact that every cup is freshly brewed. “And make no mistake about it; our patrons can taste the difference between a freshly brewed cup and one that’s been pre-brewed and has already been sitting for a long time.” At present, Delifrance has extended its coffee line to include Coffee Frappes, Cold Coffee drinks and Spiked Coffee.

William asserts that another fundamental advantage they have against coffeeshops is that Delifrance offers a complete dining experience. “Filipinos don’t live by coffee alone; and with this in mind, I go back to our European café philosophy which is all about bringing happiness and comfort to people. If you can’t take care of all the dining needs of people – which is the primary setback of coffee shops– then how can you make them happy?” asks William. “In addition to excellent coffee, we serve light Euro-continental fare amid a relaxing ambience – truly a complete food experience in itself.”

A Place of Sophistication for the Metro’s Food Sophisticates
So who can appreciate Delifrance’s alternative food experience served inside a French cafe setting? William says: “Sophisticated people.” But he clarifies this by emphasizing that sophistication need not necessarily be equated with snobbery.

“When I say that Delifrance patrons are sophisticated, I take it to mean that they are people equipped with an enthusiasm for trying out flavours that are different from the usual. And with the wide selection of food offerings from Delifrance, people are equipped with more choices.” In addition to the range of European food available in Delifrance, William is also proud of their accessible price range. “Imagine, in Delifrance, you’re served food that’s at par with 5-star hotel standards at 1/3 the price.”

Price points and target market aside, comparing Delifrance to other food establishments inside the Jollibee Foods Corporation is inevitable. “Delifrance is just more niche-market oriented. We at Delifrance aspire to prepare dishes that Filipinos would love while still staying true to its Euro-continental heritage.”

Indeed, as Delifrance presents a new face comprised of a deliciously different food experience, it is more than ready not only to enter, but to define a new phase in Philippine dining.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 12:26 am and is filed under Press Release.