Amado Forés, the chairman, president and CEO
Before delving into his main course, spaghettini al 34, Cibo’s co-managing director, Edgar Allan Caper, begins with a cornetto and a Lavazza americano. Each item carries its unique history. The pastries, specifically, were introduced to revitalize the restaurant’s quiet mid-afternoon period.
“Cibo primarily functioned as a lunch and dinner establishment. Tea time was consistently slow, and we needed a product to maximize that time,” he explains. To launch this new product line, Cibo acquired and renovated a bakery in Marikina.
Cornetto + Iced Americano
Caper’s marketing team then created a bundled offering: a cornetto, a horn-shaped, cakey sweet bread, with Lavazza coffee, all for P179—a more affordable option than a coffee-chain espresso. He notes how these combos have significantly increased afternoon sales.
Spaghettini al 34, Margarita Fores’ favorite
The spaghettini al 34 holds a sentimental value. A beloved dish of Cibo’s founder and creative director, Margarita Forés, it is smoked white fish pasta seasoned with chili pepper flakes. The spaghettini, cooked to al dente perfection, has a firm texture, infused with the piquant flavor of garlic, and shimmered in extra virgin olive oil. The dish’s name pays homage to Ristorante al 34, one of Forés’ favorite restaurants in Rome, famous for its traditional cuisine, fresh pastas and fish.
As Margarita’s birthday on March 23 nears, her absence becomes more pronounced.
“I miss her daily, but this period is exceptionally challenging. We traditionally commemorated her birthday with new ventures—restaurant openings or concept launches, reflecting her vision. Several key Cibo locations originated around this time, highlighting her dedication to community through food. Her absence creates a significant void. For us who collaborated closely with her, sharing daily tasks and long-term aspirations, each day reinforces her loss,” says Caper. “Yet, despite our grief, we continue the work she began. Her principles, standards, and commitment to excellence persist in every dish at every Cibo branch. Her legacy is sustained by those who believe in her vision.”
For the past decade, Cibo has been managed by professionals, including Margarita’s brother, Jorge (Oye) and sister, Bledes. Margarita herself focused on her areas of expertise: research and development, marketing and promotion, and styling. Caper joined the company in 2015 as corporate planning and marketing consultant, eventually transitioning to a full-time role overseeing operations.
“Cibo is a dream brand,” he says. “It has a recognizable face and a high-quality product. The task is simply to implement efficient systems and communicate the brand effectively. Handling a brand like this is every marketer’s dream.”
He cites upcoming branches at SM San Lazaro, Estancia, and two in Iloilo: SM Iloilo and Festive Walk Iloilo
Caper reveals that Cibo, now navigating a post-Margarita era, is poised for significant expansion. He cites upcoming branches at SM San Lazaro, Estancia, and two in Iloilo: SM Iloilo and Festive Walk Iloilo. Further additions will be in the north. These openings, he says, represent Cibo’s expansion strategy for 2025.
Moreover, Cibo has integrated its previously independent catering services.
In the aftermath of Margarita’s death, her son, Amado Forés, met with Caper, underscoring his commitment to ensuring the business’ seamless continuity even during his period of bereavement, and to restore operations to normalcy. Subsequent family meetings led to a restructuring of the management team, culminating in Amado’s appointment as chairman, president, and CEO, Oye as executive vice president. Bledes and Caper as managing directors, and Mercedes Forés, Margarita’s niece, as chief operating officer.
Caper’s professional background includes a stint at Pizza Hut, under Margarita’s uncle, Jorge Araneta, the clan’s patriarch and head of the Araneta group of business. He progressed through various roles, including marketing consultant, chief of staff, and chief operating officer, before assuming his current position as managing director.
Caper worked on data-informed business strategies, following Margarita’s vision and aligned with Oye’s financial management.
Last year, a comprehensive menu analysis was conducted to better understand market dynamics and customer preferences. The research revealed that Filipino diners often found the extensive menu overwhelming. It confirmed the Filipino diner’s preference for pasta dishes rich with toppings and sauces. Margarita was shown a matrix of the star products and underperforming items, with insights from the in-house dietitian and market researcher.
Caper distinguishes Cibo from novelty restaurants which simply list menu items. A chain like Cibo, he explains, must appeal to a broader audience. He also notes that Filipinos, being visual, prefer to see what they are ordering, and therefore, photos are essential in making their choices.
He considers the menu the crucial initial “moment of truth” and the customer’s first point of contact, making its effectiveness paramount. Cibo’s branches that implemented the revised menu have reported increase in the average customer check. This simplification of the ordering process has not only improved customer experience but has also resulted in better food cost management and increased sales.
Cibo has been implementing its new menu in phases, rather than an immediate, across-the-board rollout in all 32 locations. The revised menus were strategically distributed to restaurants based on their sales volumes.
During the pandemic, the Forés family prioritized securing jobs over downsizing, necessitating innovative revenue-generation strategies. “Before the pandemic, 98 percent of our business was dine-in, with take-out accounting for only 2 percent. We didn’t do deliveries,” Caper recalls. “During the lockdown, Margarita re-engineered our products—pizza, pasta, and packaging—to meet delivery requirements. From the pizza, the pasta, to even the packaging, she made critical adjustments.”
This led to the creation of Cibo Rapido, a new revenue stream that has since become an integral part of the business.
Caper recounts that the frozen pizza concept originated during the 2020 lockdown, when grocery sales were high. Recognizing Cibo’s strong brand reputation, he proposed creating a product not on the restaurant menu, aiming for its continued success post-lockdown. Margarita described the initial concept as a pizza with a focaccia-based crust, which his research and development team then worked to develop. Due to the specialized technology required for blast-freezing, Cibo partnered with a “toller,” a third-party manufacturer who was a New York-trained chef to produce Margarita’s recipes. They were in the process of finalizing the packaging, but there was no retail outlet.
Sharing a personal anecdote, Caper recalls how, after his brother’s sudden death in a car crash in October 2020, he received a message from Robina Gokongwei-Pe, chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings. During their conversation, he mentioned the frozen pizza project for Margarita. Gokongwei expressed interest and offered to assist by contacting her Robinsons Supermarket general managers to place purchase orders. Caper attributes the product’s success to the brand name and Margarita’s image, a photograph of her in a chef’s uniform on the packaging as a key marketing strategy. The pizzas have since been sold in other major supermarkets.
On Amado’s recommendation to elevate Cibo’s pizza offerings and gain recognition as one of the world’s top artisan pizza chains named by 50 Top Pizza, the company tapped the expertise of Italian pizza chef Stefano Canosci, who then recommended improvements on the pizzas and the replacement of the pizza ovens.
“This was driven by our business strategy to expand our delivery service. Cibo Rapido has been performing well, and pizza is the product that thrives in delivery,” Caper says. “We began to see significant improvements when we focused on three key areas: process, preparation, product—ingredients and equipment. We are committed to refining these elements to enhance our pizza experience.”
Last year, Cibo was ranked number 44 in the 50 Top Pizza, artisan pizza chain category. “That was the last award Margarita received before her passing. She was the face of Cibo,” Caper recounts.
Following Margarita’s passing, Canosci has pledged to elevate Cibo’s ranking in the 50 Top Pizza list.
Reflecting on his decade-long service, Caper expresses a sense of nostalgia reflecting on the loyalty plaque he had hoped to receive from Margarita. He informed the family of his intention to achieve the goal of 50 Cibo branches by 2027, after which he planned to leave to concentrate on his namesake company, which encompasses personal care, creative marketing, and distribution, and his role as marketing director for KFC Guam.
In a heartfelt conversation, Amado asked him to stay. His loyalty to the family remaining strong, Caper assured them that he would provide assistance whenever needed. “I am leaving the title, but I’m always here,” he says.
In file photo, Margarita Fores (second from left), with, from left, Bledes Fores Legarda, Edgar Allan Caper, Jorge Forés
