AS A FOOD DELIVERY platform, foodpanda is helping micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) level up through online delivery.
On Aug. 12, foodpanda showcased homegrown restaurants in Makati City that have partnered with them to offer their food on the platform: Mediterranean joint Hummus Elijah, Siargao-based café Spotted Pig, Thai restaurant Songkran, and pizza pub Nolita Joe’s.
“The rapid rise of food delivery and e-commerce apps during the pandemic was no coincidence,” said Lhecks de Castro, finance director of Foodpanda Philippines.
“As everyone had to stay indoors by default, these delivery platforms became a lifeline for consumers to get food and other essentials, and a lifeline for restaurants to sustain their businesses even with zero foot traffic.”
Late last year, foodpanda also collaborated with GoTyme Bank to put up a loan program for MSMEs. The partnership allowed vendors on the platform to apply for flexible financing for working capital.
“We know fully well how difficult it is to start and sustain a business, especially when it comes to securing the capital that they need to grow. We designed these financing programs precisely with the mom-and-pop stores in mind — to help them turn into the next big restaurant that many Filipinos can enjoy,” said Mr. De Castro.
Other than the loan program, owners of the restaurants at the Makati food crawl credited foodpanda for helping them level the playing field with bigger players by reaching digital customers.
According to the platform, many independent businesses joined their platform “as their first step into e-commerce.”
Spotted Pig café’s marketing manager Isabella Alvarez told BusinessWorld that it was foodpanda that welcomed them to the city back in 2023.
“This is our first branch outside of Siargao. We were very, very new to the city and being on foodpanda helped us get on the map so that people would start ordering from us,” she said. “We really cater more to the office crowd who want coffee and a quick, hearty lunch.”
Their bestsellers include tapa, ginataang pork adobo (cured meat, Filipino-style braised pork with coconut milk), and pastas like chicken pesto, though Ms. Alvarez noted that coffee remains their “highlight product.”
Alongside these fan favorites are pastries that are made in-house, from breads and cakes to their delicious torta cebuanas (a cross between mamon and ensaymada, local pastries) that harken back to the owners’ Cebuano roots.
“Our first café, when we were building it in Siargao, there was a spotted pig, and that’s how we got our name,” said Ms. Alvarez. “It’s cool that that pig has reached all the way here.”
For foodpanda’s Mr. De Castro, these are the stories that they want more of as the platform continues to onboard partner restaurants.
“Ultimately, our vision is to help the MSME sector achieve sustained growth and resilience,” he said. “We want to empower small businesses to scale operations, create more jobs, and contribute to the economy.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana
