A group of young entrepreneurs has made its mark in the Philippine dessert scene with Cerealicious, the country’s first dessert bar.

The team behind Cerealicious–composed of Crissy Balatbat, Charlene Falcis, Joie Lester Fuentes, Katrina Ronas, Natasha Tabucal, and Andrew Varona, all in their twenties–conceptualized the idea of a cereal-based dessert in December 2005.

Cerealicious desserts fuse the Western with the Filipino. They use the cereal, a largely Western ingredient, and combine it with nuts, fruits, cookies, and candies.

“We Filipinize the cereals,” says Balatbat, the group’s media person. “We added a dash of Pinoy humor in our Blockbusters, calling them Pirates of the Cadbury-ean, Jelly Maguire, and Jumango.”

The reference to these money-making films makes people laugh. “Some say the names are corny, but to us, it’s Filipino humor. In the States, people are not as komikero [comic], but here it’s a lot of fun,” Balatbat explains.

While Balatbat says it was exciting to come up with a concept that will be a hit for the 13-to-30 age group, it was also tough and challenging. “People were saying it won’t work,” she reveals.

Cerealicious’ newest branch opened at Robinson’s Place in Malate this month.

Trade secrets
One of the biggest secrets to the unique flavor that comes in each Cerealicious serving is the special milk, for which they hired a chef to make especially for them.

Two years into the business–and more than 10 branches later–more Filipinos are loving the Cerealicious experience especially as it is a healthy option for the weight-conscious.

Cereals have fiber and are part of the “Go” or energy-giving food that every one, from 1 to 100, should have a serving of each day.

Perhaps one other secret that Cerealicious has (and something Balatbat readily reveals) is that for a business to succeed, it needs a lot of planning and a willing team to work on it.

“Study the market and think first before making decisions. You have to get the pulse of your market and do everything to cater to their needs and wants. Monitor your finances, and do not get caught up with the chaos. And most importantly, be customer-centered,” Balatbat says.

Knowing that the Filipino market is always on the lookout for something new, the Cerealicious team is on the ready to whip up new flavors. Recently, the dessert bar started offering variants of banana split, oatmeal, and even rice meals (with fish fillet and pork) crusted with cereals.

Photo of Malate branch courtesy of Lester Shih
Screen shot of Cerealicious variants from official site
With research and interviews by Marge Gonzales
For inquiries:
+63 2 41383 20
+63 922 836 7003
cerealiciouscafe@yahoo.com