Couple opens supply shop, takes cue from food blogs

With the aim of providing hard-to-find home baking ingredients to its targeted market-base and encourage business potentials, a newly opened supply shop for home bakers, cake decorators and candy makers is now  making a hit at the new Piazza Elesia in Talamban.

Drea’s Bakers Central is the startup business venture of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Costelo which opened just last December.

Drea’s Bakers Central provides a complete line of baking supplies such as confectionery ingredients, syrups, sprinkles, and nuts, packaging products from praline boxes to tin cans, chocolate moldings, baking cups, and cake decorating tools like edible tops and cake candles as well as baking utensils.

Costelo said that the business materialized through his wife’s interest in cooking and baking and in fact wanted to put up her own bakeshop.

Having noted the growing interest of home baking and cooking, through the proliferation of food blogs in the Internet, and the growing number of entrepreneurs engaged in home baking these days, the couple thought it is the proper time to start with a supply shop venture which is quite few in Cebu.

As first-timers in the field of business, the couple is still learning and undergoing trial and errors to better sustain their business operations.

“We research, read books and do self study to better come up with a feasible business plan. This is a big learning experience for us both, so we really devote time on studying,” said Costelo.

Banking on their complete line of home baking products, Costelo is optimistic to better capture more artisan bakers and entrepreneurs who are earning through making and selling home made cakes, pastries and candies, and also even those who are still developing interest with baking.

“We will be targeting artisan bakers and food-conscious consumers as we will be providing them with a complete line of products which they can do everything by their hands so we can urge more people to venture into business,” said Costelo.

For start-ups, he said that the business is still peaking up considering their location; but in time after they bolster their marketing and promotional campaigns this year through holding product demos and baking activities in schools in the future; Costelo is projecting a growth in their client-base and customer traffic.

Acknowledging the characteristics of home bakers and baking hobbyists, Costelo is optimistic that in time Drea’s Bakers Central will be a trusted supply shop where home bakers can find all their baking needs.

“Most baking ingredients especially specialized ingredients are not easy to find here in Cebu and we want to be able to provide our clientele which usually goes the extra mile to look for it with everything they may need,” said Costelo.

The Piazza Elesia where Drea’s Baker Central is located is a mixed-use commercial establishment which houses different concept shops that caters to the basic needs of nearby clientele from business and housing developments around the area. It is still about 70% completed but it will be having its grand opening this February and more locators including two new call canters will be occupying the area.