by Alma L. Tingcang
In Pagadian City, one name that stands out when you talk about cakes and pastries is Golda’s. Every Pagadianon knows that the name speaks of freshly baked bread and pastries, cakes for all occasions, name it and they have it, which is quality at its best.
A native of Pagadian, Grace M. Silla, a chemical engineer by profession-turned classy entrepreneur started it out as a hobby, baking for family and friends and eventually opened Golda’s Cakes and Pastries in December 8, 1998 at Sanson Street to cater to the choosy palate of the local folks. The soft-spoken owner is hands-on in the business and leaves no stone unturned to ensure the mark of excellence is seen in every product.
The modern baking business as seen in today’s competitive market is very demanding and yet very popular. While the journey towards “quality” and consistent baking excellence remains to be an arduous one, a major ingredient behind this challenging endeavor is pretty simple. We call it PASSION.
Grace had this passion when she ventured into the business. The increasing number of customers of Golda’s Cakes and Pastries was reason enough to branch out in December 2001 and established her second outlet at J. Ariosa Street. Slowly realizing the perfect match up of cakes, pastries and bread and the overflowing love for baking, Grace soon moved to open its first bread segment in 2005 and 2 years later complimented through the opening of Golda’s Kaffe.
Today, Golda’s Cakes and Pastries are just well within the reach of Pagadianons when it opened its 3rd branch inside Gaisano Capital Mall on December 14, 2008 and another branch at Robinson’s Supermarket on December 2, 2010, strategically located to ensure accessibility to costumers.
The young entrepreneur never dreamed she would be managing 4 branches, juggling her time being a devoted wife to Engr. Manuel V. Silla, a contractor and a doting mom to three lovely daughters: Gizelle Mica M. Silla, a Registered Nurse and now an intern at the Cebu Institute of Medicine; Gianne Michelle M. Silla, a graduate of BSC Major in Marketing and Entrepreneur at University of San Carlos, Cebu City; and the youngest, Golda Marielle M. Silla who is a 3rd year BSC Major in Management student at the Ateneo de Manila University, the one most likely to follow her footsteps and who is into baking herself, showing the same intense interest in the business. Proof of this is when Golda represented Zamboanga Peninsula Region and became a national winner in cake decorating in Baguio last 2008 awarded by the Student Technologists and Entrepreneur of the Philippines (STEP).
Indeed this young woman has so much to thank God for!
This Christmas, celebrate sweet moments with your family at Golda’s Cakes and Pastries, savor the mouth-watering assortment of heavenly sweetness, order your favorite chocolate moist, brazo de Mercedes, strawberry cake and all other variety of choices to make, everything baked to perfection - quality at its best. For orders and inquiries, call Golda’s at (062) 2151-687; (062) 2143-008 and (062) 2154-358 or email at goldascakes@yahoo.com. (ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)