Modern Titay’s reopens in Liloan

More than a pitstop. With more room for customers, Titay’s now serves more customers and offers more products. (SunStar Foto/Allan Cuizon)
More than a pitstop. With more room for customers, Titay’s now serves more customers and offers more products. (SunStar Foto/Allan Cuizon)

THE Frasco family of Liloan has transformed Titay’s flagship store into a café.

The expansion comes as Titay’s adapts to changing customer habits, with consumers spending money on quality products and experience.

The flagship store used to have six tables to accommodate just a handful of guests who normally stayed for 30 minutes in the popular stop for those traveling north.

Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos and Delicacies Inc. chief executive officer Aljew Fernando Frasco said the family decided to convert the store into a café to fit more guests. It can now accommodate 45 customers plus additional product offerings.

“We now have hot and cold drinks like juices and other pastries,” said Aljew at the sidelines of the store’s relaunching over the weekend.

The 111-year-old Titay’s became popular because of its round, scallop-edged biscuit known as rosquillos.

From there, the brand diversified and offered other products like otap, galletas del carmen, caycay, penato, banana chips, galletas de bato, hojaldres, polvoron, barquillos, binangkal and bread and pastries.

Titay’s new look boasts of a good blend of modern and vintage. Aljew said they wanted to preserve the brand’s rich history while being attractive to the new breed of consumers.

To educate customers, the family mounted a history wall so guests could appreciate the family’s effort in preserving the business, which is now being managed by the fourth generation.

Titay’s has three store locations in Cebu but the brand is present in supermarkets, grocery stores and other distribution channels nationwide.

On average, Titay’s produces 360,000 rosquillos a day.

Aljew said much of their production is for local consumption. But in a year or two, the family aspires to bring the brand to international markets.

“We’ve been to the US already. But we decided to rebrand and focus from the start. Our boxes are already international ready. Then once we can cater to everyone here in the Philippines, then we will export again,” said Margarita Frasco, Titay’s chief operations officer. “We cut it down to better the packaging.”

Aljew said they plan to tie up with tour operators to make the new café part of their guests’ travel itinerary. The family is also eyeing to up a merchandise store at the back of the café selling souvenir items.

Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos was founded in 1907 by Margarita “Titay” Frasco, the fourth generation’s great grandmother. She made golden brown biscuits shaped like rosca (ringlets) in her clay oven. The biscuit was named “rosquillos” by a provincial governor and became popular in the town of Liloan.

It was handed to Corazon “Azon” Frasco, who brought rosquillos closer to Cebuanos by distributing the products to supermarkets and malls. Soon after, Gerardo and Panfil Frasco, the third generation, took over the business.

In 2013, the fourth generation stepped in and embarked on a rebranding program to elevate Titay’s as one of the top pasalubong choices in the country. It professionalized and streamlined the business operations.

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