Photo: From L-R (Peter King, CEO, Max’s Group Inc., Sajan Alex, Vice President, Tablez Food Company, Robert Trota, President and CEO, Max’s Group Inc., William E. Rodgers, Director and Head of International Business)
One of the popular comfort foods among Filipinos is pancakes. And as American as the food might sound, Filipinos have managed to re-create the popular American dish into a flavor of their own which has since spawned one of their favorite restaurants, Pancake House which will soon open at the Dubai Mall’s food court area. TFT sat down with Peter King, CEO, Max’s Group Inc., Sajan Alex, Vice President, Tablez Food Company, Robert Trota, President and CEO, Max’s Group Inc., and William E. Rodgers, Director and Head of International Business as they talked about their plans for Pancake House in the UAE.
One undeniable fact about Filipinos is that they all love to eat, especially if it’s one of their comfort food that just takes them to a more relaxed state as they fight against the stress of work abroad. Pancakes, while usually served in the morning, are made available all day at Pancake House in the Philippines and the good news is Dubai Mall’s outlet will carry on with the same treatment: “(We will have) All day breakfast. Just to show from morning to evening we can serve breakfast. We have our special signature dishes, Pancake, pan fried chicken, spaghetti, tacos, also we have our smoked tinapa fish – which might be like smoked salmon but it would give you a different flavor and has been doing great worldwide,” the executives said.
Convergence of nationalities and tastes
The officials see a great potential with their strategic location at Dubai Mall. Located in the food court, they’re not just a simple stall, but an actual restaurant with proper seating: “We’re in a place where everyone from all over the world goes to Dubai Mall. Tourists, locals, whatever demographics they’re from – I think it’s a big opportunity for us to see how we can connect with people from other parts of the world.”
Tapping the Filipino community
Pancake House’s management acknowledges the power and influence of Filipinos when it comes to their sense of taste in food. “You can say that they’re (OFWs/Filipinos) our brand ambassadors. They know the food and are more familiar with it,” said the officials. And while the target is primarily the Filipino community, their plan is to cater to a wider audience. “Dubai Mall has a big customer base. We are very excited to see people visiting our store and see what we can do and how we can serve great food and give that excellent service that we’re known for. We’re looking forward to be accepted by all nationalities. It helps us to bring it to the mainstream and we’re very excited to showcase what we have,” explained the officials.
