Trusting the ‘Source’ as divine biz partner
Just like many successful ventures, Fountainhead Bakeshop's triumphant journey is also founded by passion. But, reaching the 40-year pinnacle with ease is something that makes this family-run business different from the rest.
Fountainhead is one of the strongest bakeshop brands in Cebu that weathered the tests of competitions, without being threatened or fear of losing out. Its secret lies not on how much it invested in marketing and brand sustainability, but relies fully on contentment and with stubborn faith of the Source — God.
Founded by Erlinda Pamaong Francisco, given its high-rated pasty and bread products and strong Cebuano patronage, the brand could have expanded its wings some more and take advantage of its name, but it remained low-key over the years.
"It is the Lord who sustains us," said Erlinda, who opts to strike a balance in tending her business at the same time being a born-again Christian.
Erlinda acknowledges that where the business is taking her family today, it’s because it recognized the hands on the Creator being the Boss, not herself. She said she is just an instrument to help other people earn, as well as enjoy the bounty in form of sweet Pinoy pastry delights, cakes, and bread staple.
THE SOURCE
Immediately after getting married to Regino Francisco, an exporter, whose family also owned the Tagalog Hotel and Restaurant, in the 70s, Erlinda, a licensed Chemical Engineer, found herself busy in her kitchen baking, which eventually caught the entrepreneurial hunch of her mother-in-law.
Without proper background in baking, Erlinda's cakes and pastries found a place in the in-law's hotel and restaurant business.
And that ignited her courage to be a businesswoman at 22 years old, instead of using a tag bearing an Engineer title before her name.
Her small bakeshop brand was then named "Erlinda's Bakeshop." Although it sounded good, not to mention bearing her name on every pack of bread makes her famous, the couple decided to change the brand name and make it more elegant and globally-sounding. Both bookworms, the couple's favorite book when they were about to start a family was "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. While this title is a testament of the couple's shared love for reading, Erlinda recalled they decided to use the book title as the name of their young bakeshop venture, as its meaning speaks power, which means "Primary Source," or "God's Head".
A source never runs dry, and so does their business.
In 1978, the couple opened its first bakeshop in Manalili Street. It was the start of Erlinda's journey in the bakeshop business.
THE STORM
Just when the Fountainhead Bakeshop made a good growth stride in providing the best pastry and baked goods to Cebuanos, with branches growing, earnings rising, Erlinda was met by the most painful storm in her life when her husband left her to return his Creator in 1990.
Left alone with small children to tend and growing business that demanded her attention and time, Erlinda almost lost her balance and her business too.
But she later realized that the storm in her personal and business life were meant to happen, for her to meet the "Source" of everything she has — not through religious rituals, but through personal encounter — a relationship.
Erlinda did not just went through the pains, but she was able to grow through the pains of single-motherhood, widowhood, let alone the lack of masculine strength to help her in the business.
DIVINE PARTNERSHIP
Along the way, Fountainhead Bakeshop had its peak when it grew to 13 branches all over Cebu, but Erlinda's faith in sensing the divine voice, whom she signed in as her partner in business, pushed her to streamline its numbers in order not to lose balance and maintain the right quality.
However, Erlinda's decision to cut the number of branches ushered Fountainhead Bakeshop to make presence in close to 80 supermarkets and grocery stores in the Visayas, including Bohol.
Today, Fountainhead Bakeshop, operated by Cares Fountainhead Inc., only operates four outlets with coffee shop concepts, located in Ayala Center Cebu, SM Seaside, among others.
According to Erlinda, Fountainhead Bakeshop is operating a different way of running business as it continually finds strength and success in being content and growing only in the fields where God wants them to be.
This maybe an "odd" way of running a business for some, but for Erlinda, as well as her children, the Source should always be put at the center of any venture.
She added that expanding thinly just to make more money, and losing the quality and heart-to-serve the customers, is not success at all.
GETTING AHEAD
While the business opted to go at a speed of "slowly-but-surely", it is on the other hand getting ahead of its local counterparts as it moved towards offering Pinoy bread and pastry favorites, honoring the local taste buds of Filipinos in the bakeshop business.
Conceptualized by her son Rex, Fountainhead Bakeshop highlights Filipino favorites like pandesal, Bagong-bayan, binangkal, tasty-roll, Siakoy, Bahugbahug, pig-pie, patatas, Ube cakes, fresh mango cake, buko pandan, chocolate (tablea) cake, among others.
Rex, who is the fourth child, and only son, together with sister Emily are now taking over the business.
In other countries, each has their own signature bread, and they even hyped over their own way of enjoying pastries and bread products. The Philippines, still has to make its own bread signature as a "big-thing".
A truly Filipino bakeshop brand is the direction Fountainhead Bakeshop is taking, she said with candor.
Soon, Fountainhead Bakeshop will enter into providing other Pasalubong products.
From classic breads, cakes and pastries to new goodies and pasalubong packages, Fountainhead keeps in touch with the Filipino.
"At the heart of our everyday operations is our understanding of Pinoy values and sentiments. We symbolize one value that Pinoys hold dear thoughtfulness. Be it via bitbit (hand-carry) or padala (send), Pinoys give more than food, they give their warmth and care."
FEARLESSNESS
With a near sold out trust to God, and acknowledges the hands of God participating in every move it takes, Erlinda said she is not threatened by the "Goliaths" in the Philippine bakeshop business, as well as the looming increase of raw material prices due to the new tax scheme law implemented by the government.
She said, with God as her business partner, nothing fears her and no one can out down the business.
Erlinda's agreement with God, she said includes already her submission, and not resisting to whatever changes come her way and her business.
No matter what, its "Primary Source" never runs dry, it always flows — slowly but surely. This is the tradesecret of Fountainhead's success, and she encourages others to try it too.