Gold and Luck
The Fairy Tale Behind Goldilocks’ Success
Once upon a time in
1966…
two sisters, Milagros and Clarita
and their sister-in-law Doris,
decided to open a small bakeshop
along Pasong Tamo Street in
Makati.
Milagros and Clarita were two of
the nine children of Pascual
Leelin and Trinidad Tancioco.
During the Second World War,
Milagros learned to cook while
Clarita became interested in baking
after getting an oven from her
parents when she was 10.
Their father taught them to bake;
and they would always wake up
early in the morning to cook for
him.
Eventually, the sisters started
baking delicacies in their Makati
apartment serving doctors, nurses,
and patients, and after a while
decided to open up their own
small bakeshop.
Then on May 15,1966, their
dream of opening a small
bakeshop came to reality.
The sisters together with their
sister-in-law, opened Goldilocks
on a 70-sqm space on the ground
floor of a three-story building at
Pasong Tamo, Makati.
They opened the first branch with
only 10 employees in it, and just
two displayed cakes.
A third sister, Maria Flor,
suggested that they name the
enterprise "Goldilocks", after the
character in a fairy tale.
The intention was to make it
easier for children and their
mothers to remember the
bakeshop's name, and also
because it suggested luck and
prosperity.
Two very important words were embedded in the name—gold and
luck, which suggest “fortune and success.”
Pasong Tamo quickly gained
attention from locals and visitors.
Their products were made in
their family kitchen. The store
offered freshly-made cakes
and pastries which were sold
out every day.
1968, Goldilocks’ second branch along Taft Avenue,
Manila.
In 1991, they began accepting
franchisees. And when the
franchising began to grow in
the Philippines, hundreds of
Goldilocks branches opened
around Metro Manila serving
customers that also grew in
number every day.
From their humble beginning in Pasong Tamo, they now have grown
to over 600 stores and employ over 2,000 people.
The Goldilocks’
International
Venture
After the success of Goldilocks in the
Philippines, they began their international
venture. In 1976, Goldilocks introduced
their products in the United States and
Bangkok, opening their first branch in Los
Angeles, then in San Francisco, Northern
California, San Jose, and Las Vegas.
1976, Goldilocks outlet in
Los Angeles, California
Goldilocks became known
internationally because of their
unique Filipino desserts, snacks,
and bread.
Today, Goldilocks has 12 stores
in the US, 2 in Canada, and 6 in
Thailand.
1984, Goldilocks outlet in
Vancouver, Canada
Goldilocks became known internationally because of their unique
Filipino desserts, snacks, and bread.
Richard Yee, the president, and second-generation owner of
Goldilocks shared to Inquirer.Net how they have managed to succeed
throughout the years.
“We realized that to fulfill our strategic growth plans and to
transition to the next generation, we had to partner with highly
motivated entrepreneurs who shared the principles and values of
Goldilocks.”
“Accordingly, we launched our franchising program in 1991, and
the remarkable expansion that we have achieved since then is a
testament to the strong partnership and positive relationship we have
with our franchisees.”
