Summer’s not about to go even on the last month of the summer season here in the Philippines. We were able to visit Julie’s Bakeshop Manila office yesterday and discovered interesting finds on Julie’s Bakeshop Summer Breads.
Rainbow Round Cake (P160)
Meggie Jose and Kate Biol, Julie’s Bakeshop Marketing Manager and Marketing Assistant, respectively, welcomed us to their office and introduced us the five new summer breads and baked goodies that shouts ‘summer‘ through their colors.
Rainbow Round Cake
What is a bakeshop with out the traditional cakes. The new  Rainbow Round Cake (P160 whole) would certainly be enjoyed by the kids or bring out the kid in you. The6″ round butter chiffon cake are covered with festive red, yellow, and green layers and designs; covered with creamy whipped cream.
It’s also available in a square slice at P45.
Rainbow Cake,Slice (Square) (P45)
Rainbow Cupcakes (top photo)
Second in line are Julie’s Rainbow Cupcake creation. It has a common vanilla based cupcake s topped with tropical flavors symbolic of the season: pineapple, strawberry, buko pandan and ube. Add to that a sprinkle of confetti sugar in colors.
It costs P12 a piece and oddly at a more expensive P75 per pack perhaps due to the packaging involved with a set of 6.
Yummy Yoyos
Yummy Yoyos (P5/each)
Guava Fruit-Filled Bread
For bite-sized hunger, you would find the round Yummy Yoyos sandwich puffs that similarly comes in varieties of orange, buko pandan, pineapple and strawberry.  Each ‘yummy yoyo‘ has an SRP of P5.
Fruit-Filled Breads
The Fruit-Filled Breads are flower-shaped sweets with a surprise of guava, mango, and pineapple form the inside. At P7 a piece, this was a surprisingly good find. The bread itself is also soft and chewy.
My favorite is the guava-filled.
Fruit Filled Bread (P7/each)
Chicken Empanada
Generously filled with chunky chicken meat, Julie’s Chicken Empanada is another value find. Remember to  have it hot straight from the oven for maximum satisfaction. At P8 a piece, you would certainly have more than 1 piece.
Julie’s Chicken Empanada (P8 / each)
Chicken Empanada
Among the five Julie’s Bakeshop Summer Breads (+ empanada), I liked the fruit-filled breads (guava) and the chicken empanada the best. You really have to really try at least my 2 recommendations. Like, now. 🙂
If you are looking into the opportunity of starting a food business, starting with a franchise business is an option specially if it would be your first time to explore the entrepreneurship world.
Filipino Franchise Show 2010
Yesterday, I got to visit the 9th Filipino Franchise Show 2010 at the World Trade Center in Pasay where more than half of the exhibitors are from the food franchise businesses.
Regular entrance ticket costs P100 per person while students can get in for P50 and senior citizen at P80. I got my free ticket care of the organizer – Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI). Check their website at http://www.affi.com.ph/ and event website http://www.franchiseshowphilippines.com/
Franchise Finds
Attention grabbing structures are the usual big booths from big brands like Mang Inasal, Julie’s Bakeshop, Binalot, and Eng Bee Tin whose mooncakes would be a hit in the next few days due to the upcoming Chinese Mooncake Festival.
Mang Inasal, Julie's Bakeshop, Binalot, and Eng Bee Tin
However, you would observe new brands as well such as Buko House, Mozarella Stick, Sankalan, Wrap A Lumpia, Sisig in the City, and food carts by JC Franchising. (See first photo).
On Ice Scrambles
Ice Scrambles Food Carts
As expected, the ice scrambles craze proliferated in the franchise show as I found at least four ice scramble franchise offerings including Ice Cramble “The Original Ice Crumble“, Scramboi Ice Scrambles, Scramble King, and Chillax Ice Scramble.
I like the hip sound of Chillax the most. 🙂 However, Scramble King rides on the name recall of the monosyllabic “king.” I think Scramboi could have settled with “Scramboy” instead, investing on the common Filipino street name.
I didn’t find the Manila Scrambles cart I see in most malls, however.
The Ice Scrambles food cart idea is currently taking the low-cost food franchise by storm primarily because of its low cost and comparatively simple operations involved in preparing the product. Time would say if this would only be a fad or if the ice scrambles industry would stay for good.
Innovative Names
RBX (Rice in a Box) and Taxi Cab
Moving on, there are also food businesses with innovative names like RBX or Rice in a Box and Tapsi Cab. The former seem to be moving from the usual cart type to kiosk with their dine-in showcase at the franchise fair. The latter reminds us of a similar sounding pizza chain. 🙂
Potato Loops
AFFI Seminars
Lastly, I found this interesting-looking potato product that looks peculiar from our regular French fries. It’s fried but swirled in a stick and called “Potato Loops.” I wasn’t able to taste one but the aesthetics is enough to possibly pique a passers-by’s interest giving it the ‘curious-purchase’ advantage. I think it’s innovative and have a high-market potential in the near future given that it tastes good enough for a snack.
Philippines Franchisees and Franchisors
You still have today and tomorrow to visit the 9th Filipino Franchise Show 2010 at the World Trade Center in Pasay. Tel:(02) 506-8883, 0917-518-AFFI, 347-0153, 534-1134. Email info@tradenetevents@gmail.com or affi.secretariat_raffy@yahoo.com. A ride away from SM Mall of Asia, it opens 11am and closes 7pm.