Home in a café: Café Perene embodies what it’s like to be a true-blue ‘family business’

Many patisseries serve excellent baked goods, confectioneries, and drinks and offer equally great services. Only a handful, however, are able to serve a dose of inspiration on top of these.

Among these select few is Café Perene, a family business that runs not only on business savviness and ingenuity, but one that is also driven by passion for great food and compassion for the community, mothers most especially.

A family affair

In an interview with The Philippine STAR, Hana Patricia C. Rebaldo, marketing and operations manager of Café Perene, shared that among the advantages of having a family-run venture is that decision-making is easier since they are “very hands on” in running the business.

Mom Mary Jane takes the lead; while dad Ed, oversees store construction; Hana oversees marketing and operations; and John, the family’s youngest member, manages the commissary.

The family comes from a close-knit clan whose celebrations are centered on great food and long hours of conversations, so venturing into the food business makes a lot of sense and comes as no surprise.

“We are able to work together efficiently since we are also close with each other. Being small, we are flexible and faster. We can choose our time off. With family, you can trust that you have one objective. It's always a move forward.”

When she says “family,” it does not only mean her immediate family. For them, the concept of family extends to some of their most trusted yaya, househelp, and driver—people who have already been with them for the past 15 to 26 years and are familiar with their “ways of working” and are now actively taking on key positions in the commissary.

Mothers run the backstage

Another remarkable fact about Café Perene is how its commissary is run mostly by mothers. “We hired them from within the area, preferring referrals from friends and employees, families with good character. We require and prefer no experience,” she shared.

They currently have a 14-member-strong commissary team, nine of which are mothers. These moms had been trained from scratch, with most having no previous job experience or college diploma.

John said that they are thankful for the commissary moms who, together with the rest of the team, make sure that Café Perene churns out no less than the most exceptional cakes and pastries every single day.

Showstopping cakes

Café Perene is best known for ultra-indulgent cakes. From as far back as their first business, Forget Me Not Café, which opened in 2012 in Marikina, they have already established a name when it comes to premium cakes.

Fast forward to 2023, aside from expanding their cake and pastry portfolio, they have also continued to improve on and innovate both their classic and newer recipes.

Their best-selling Nutella Cheesecake, for example, is pure decadence in every smooth and silky bite. They sure didn’t hold back on the Nutella—but the sweetness is restrained, perfectly balanced with the tartness of the cream cheese with only but the slightest bitterness from the dark chocolate ganache.

Another crowd favorite is their Basque Burnt Cheesecake. This somewhat unassuming cake seems easy to make but its trademark “perfect burn” is quite tricky to achieve, hitting the perfect timing and temperature for a cake that’s a delightful contradiction: caramel-sweet but smoky, with a deep flavor yet a light, melt-in-your-mouth feel. Their Basque Burnt Cheesecake will leave you hankering for one more slice.

Café Perene’s Premium Dark Chocolate Cake is also a must try. Rich and unpretentious, the dark chocolate’s bitterness satisfies but doesn’t overwhelm, tempered by the sweetness and creaminess of the ganache. This cake begs for a steaming mug of coffee or a piping cup of tea.

A surprise hit is their Lime Cake. If there’s such a thing as a perfect summer cake this would perfectly fit the bill. Using fresh lime juice and lime candies that are baked in-house daily, every forkful bursts with summertime bliss, while the richness of the cream cheese and custard complements the lime’s citrusy kick. This is the cake to order when your spirits need a little lifting up.

A Carrot Cake doesn’t seem very special, but Café Perene elevates the humble recipe to a whole new level. Their take on this patisserie staple is both indulgent and filling, packed with raisins and walnuts aplenty.

Then there’s John’s take on Ube Tres Leches Cake, his first foray into crafting cake recipes—and the result is something you wouldn’t expect a first attempt to be. Ube can be divisive, you either love it or hate it, but in this recipe, the ube lends the cake subtle earthy tones, a pleasant contrast to the playful sweetness of the three-milk mixture.

Completing the cake lineup on the Café Perene menu are their just-as-luscious Red Velvet Cake, Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Oreo Cheesecake, Sugar-Free Choco Banana Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Choco Lava Cake, Salted Caramel Cake, Bailey’s Coffee Cake, and Classic Sans Rival.

Six-inch cakes are priced between P595 to P795, while eight-inch ones go from P975 to P1595.

An eye toward the future

The family business has come a long way from its Forget Me Not Café days on Lilac Street. The brand, with its 10 branches, has weathered challenges and is now making its mark in the ultra-competitive food and beverage industry.

The family has decided to keep Forget Me Not Café as their own quaint community café. Café Perene, their cake-selling brand, however, is seen as more dynamic, ever-changing with time.

The Café Perene family is grateful for the niche market the brand has created in places where it operates. “There are still lots of potential locations in Metro Manila, we will continue at a conservative growth of two to three stores per year,” Hana said.

They will be opening a kiosk in Vertis North, Quezon City in June or July of this year. They have also started to streamline their operations, focusing on cakes, beverages, and light meals.

While the business is open to partners, the family decided to take control of all store operations not only to ensure quality is maintained but also to be directly in touch with customers.

With a hardworking, creative, and passionate family behind it, the future can only be rosy for Café Perene.

Special offerings for Mother’s Day

With Mother’s Day looming on the horizon, the family shared that the occasion has always been their best event year-on-year. With this, they come up with unique gifting concepts for moms every year.

With the theme “WonderMom,” this year’s collection sees their traditional heart-shaped cakes and cupcakes taking on a more chic, contemporary aesthetic that still conveys a femininity that’s subdued but no less impressive.

Café Perene has branches in Puregold Marikina, 24 Lilac Street in Marikina (as Forget Me Not Café), Ayala Malls Feliz, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Greenhills Connecticut Arcade, Trinoma, Celebrity Sports Plaza, Robinsons Antipolo, and at 1227 Benavidez Street, Manila. It’s also available on Grab Kitchen Parañaque.

Follow Café Perene on Facebook or on Instagram.

* * *

Editor’s Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like Cafe Perene.