Celebrated Magnolia Bakery of New York to open in Manila

Whether or not you’ve been to the original Magnolia Bakery in New York City, you’d be ecstatic to know that its sweet treats will soon be available in Metro Manila — at BGC in Taguig on August 22, to be exact.

This particular bakery is basically the one that started the cupcake craze back when it first opened in 1996, and has gained a lot of popularity thanks to pop culture references in movies and TV shows like "Sex and the City," "The Devil Wears Prada," and "Saturday Night Live."

In Manila, it will be known as M Bakery — slightly different name but same food, vibe, and experience. Like the American establishment, it will have an identical look and feel, from the charming vintage décor to the “live theater” area where diners can see cakes and cupcakes being decorated in full view. Even passersby can get a glimpse of it from the outside. 

According to Erick Larios, Magnolia Bakery’s director of franchise operations, “One of the things that we’re very proud of with bringing the brand here is making sure that we keep the same level of integrity, quality, in all of our products and training methods.”

Aside from the Philippines, you’ll find the same standards in cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, as well as international locations in Seoul, Mexico City, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Amman, and Doha.

The bakery prides itself its kitchen creations that are all handmade and baked fresh on the premises every day. “It’s a sensory experience—when you walk in here it smells like there’s real life baking going on. You can see it from the outside, there’s a full staff baking,” shared Larios.

Dessert lovers would be thrilled with the wide selection of goodies that doesn’t just feature cakes and cupcakes, but also other mouthwatering items like cookies, bars, brownies, scones, muffins, cheesecakes, and the world-famous banana pudding.

“The products are not mass-produced in a commissary. It’s all produced on premise, each and every day, which is a big part of what sets Magnolia and M Bakery from other bakery business.”

First-time visitors must not miss a taste of its celebrated cupcakes. The Manila branch will have the same menu as the other branches, but only six to eight varieties will be featured daily.

Larios disclosed that part of the charm in baking in small batches is that they can do something else besides the standard stuff. Say, if they get an order for a customized carrot cake and they have leftover batter, they can turn these into carrot cupcakes as well. More reason for you to come back and check out the daily offerings.

Below are the sweet treats to expect:

— LA, GMA News

G/F One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; tel: +63 (2) 847-9829.