When it comes to brewed drinks, fresh baked goods, and other eats, one of Pinoy's go-to food spots is Mary Grace Café. Sadly, the beloved café and bakeshop recently announced that its branch in Greenbelt 2 is now closed.
Last Jan. 2, Mary Grace Café flagship store officially ended its operations to give way to Greenbelt 2 mall’s renovation. According to Adrian Dimacali, the director of Mary Grace Foods, Inc. and the son of Mary Grace herself, the said store set the “gold standard” and was “an academy and a proving ground for our managers today.”
Mary Grace Café's Greenbelt 2 store opened in May 2011, inviting its customers to its large space—a 153.92-sqm. ground floor, a 76.50-sqm. mezzanine, and 73.53-sqm. al fresco space. Before moving into the area, the space's former tenant was noted chef Margarita “Gaita” Forés' Pepato.
"It was my younger brother Gabby who believed in and fought for signing this space," Adrian posted on Facebook. "I told him it was too big and that we should stick to small, efficient spaces. I told him if the esteemed Gaita didn’t want that space anymore, why should we? As it turns out, with a little patience and a lot of faith, Greenbelt 2 became our strongest branch. Even as we opened new cafés that were bigger and more eye-catching, this grand old dame would come out on top year after year."
While its closing brings sadness to many of its patrons, Mary Grace Café sees this as a new beginning with its move to Greenbelt 5.
“Thank you to everyone who came through our doors in our first flagship café. It was an absolute honor having you spend time with us," the brand posted. “To our café team and to the many café leaders who sprung from the challenge of GB2, hats off to you, and thanks for the many years of friendship! Happy New Year, everyone, and on the next!"
Apart from Mary Grace Café, other restaurants such as Italianni's, The Perfect Pint, and Manam have also closed their stores in Greenbelt 2. On the other hand, Sugi Japanese Restaurant's last day in the mall is on Feb. 4.
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