The making of a carinderia

Paris is the fashionable world capital whose gleam bounces back to Philippine consciousness through silken snapshots of Filipino high fashion influencers and fortunate tourists during Paris Fashion Week.

The reverse of the relatively rarefied cultural encounter could be said: “The Philippines does not exist in the mental ecumene of Europeans. Of course, the diplomats would say.” (Guéraiche, 2013) (writer’s translation from French). The continent might just be getting to know the Philippines through the lens of migrant workers in Europe and the next generation of this expatriate cohort.

Thus, pitching cultural and gastronomic Pinoy outposts in foreign cities is a bold undertaking of a young, energetic set like Gonzalez and Aurélie.

Their lifetimes were also spent navigating the system: the strikes, the notorious bureaucracy. Their success stands on mounds of judicious paperwork. “

“You need so much patience,” Gonzalez says of the legwork. Apparently, tedious bureaucratic processes are not a monopoly of the Philippines.

“It really needs organization for the paperwork. There are a lot of steps. If you miss one thing, it can delay everything.” Permits are needed for everything: the shopfront alone could take five to six months to be approved by the relevant authorities.

By now, she and her business partner have mastered the art of setting up. They are looking into future concepts.

The smooth sail of Bobi and Kape promises an ecosystem of cultural exchange from Gonzalez and Aurélie’s little carinderia in the heart of Paris.