Goldilocks Bakeshop, Inc., one of the most enduring and beloved Filipino brands in the SM group’s portfolio investments, is boosting its expansion through partnerships as it rolls out an additional 30 franchise-owned stores in 2024.

In a statement, SMIC said Goldilocks has 926 stores as of end-2023, of which 360 are franchised-owned stores.

“Each of our franchisees is deeply embedded in their communities and this intimate local knowledge is crucial because it allows each bakeshop to feel less like a chain and more like a neighborhood store,” said Goldilocks Chief Operating Officer Jerson Go Uy.

He noted that, even more meaningful, this business relationship that Goldilocks grows with its partners often started with longstanding love and trust for the brand. Many Goldilocks franchise owners started out as loyal customers in their youth.

Henry Gosyco has been a Goldilocks franchisee in Tacloban for 16 years, becoming a partner in 2008, and still remembers his fondness for Goldilocks from his high school days.

Gosyco has extended that brand love to community service. A number of his stores actively engage in partnership programs with LGUs in Tacloban like the Brigada Eskwela program, as well as local tree-planting initiatives and feeding programs.

Goldilocks said it is committed to the success of their partners, which is why they extend substantial support to them by providing the necessary tools to thrive as business owners. The company also understands that success also extends beyond the bottom line.

To Gosyco, this commitment rang true when Tacloban was severely devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Goldilocks reached out to them to provide crucial support in their efforts to rebuild not just the business but their community.

“It was during these challenging times that the support of our dedicated team, the resilience of the local communities, and the support of Goldilocks and the SM Group played a pivotal role in our efforts to rebuild,” said Gosyco.

Such demonstrations of community spirit inspire other franchisees to pay it forward like Blanca Bondoc who keeps her stores open in the early morning on occasions like the Simbang Gabi to accommodate churchgoers after mass.

“Adjusting our operating hours community to attend to the needs of churchgoers attending early morning services is our way of serving our community. With the support of the Goldilocks team, we try our hardest to provide the best service to our customers,” said Bondoc.

Earlier this year, the SM group reiterated its commitment to contribute to the development of many underserved regions in the country, recognizing the potential for growth of local economies and the need to serve these communities.