KAPE, TINAPAY AT KAKANIN

Mabuhay! Welcome! Tuloy Po Kayo.

As this is my blog, and I treat it like home, may I welcome you all. Mabuhay po kayong lahat! Tuloy po kayo.

I am not an expert in digital media and online web so please bear with me if you find lapses and occasional mistakes. But I do try to learn. That learning process has brought me here, to this blog, which I have the idea for years.

I have superior and high-quality products that some in our community may not know yet, so this blog will help in informing them. Many satisfied customers tell me that my bakery has the best pandesal, the best puto and bibingka, among many others, so now they can write down those comments and let others know.

My storefront is located at one of the busiest crossroads of human and vehicular traffic in National City, San Diego County, California, so I deem it necessary to get in touch with patrons and friends through this medium.

That said, may I say "tuloy po kayo". Translated, it means "come on in!". Welcome to my home!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Why the title in Pilipino?

A friend who first saw this blog asked me: why's your header "Kape, Tinapay at Kakanin" in Pilipino?

I could have just chosen "Coffee, Bread & Eatables" - the literal translation - and not be queried. But that would not say much about myself, my origin, my business and the many products that I created.

I've been in the business of making bread and inventing special bread products for the past 23 years in San Diego, California. This year is my 24th doing and perfecting those products.

Kape, Tinapay at Kakanin may not sound mainstream but it is my way of affirming my roots, my identity in this multicultural nation that is America.

It's also my means of telling my patrons that despite more than two decades being identified with The Original Richard's Bakery, I've stayed in touch with what is essentially my home.

The Filipino community is my home. The other ethnic communities are my neighbors. The bigger community is my adopted country.

That is one of the reasons I chose Kape, Tinapay at Kakanin as the name of this blog. I want people to identify with it. I want them to feel at ease at not having to look or sound too Americanized.

Another reason is to be able to reach out to the thousands of Filipinos in San Diego and to many others in the entire United States. I can use this blog as a medium of advocacy, too, for Filipinos and Filipino interests.

Actually, the internet has made communications with anyone anywhere very easy. An example I may cite is my own experience running my bakery.

From the time I invented the Obama Pan de Sal (a special bread made from 100 percent wheat) to honor the sitting US president, Mr. Barack Obama, orders have come from as far as Alaska, New York, Connecticut, Florida. Illinois, Washington and from some counties in California.

Those orders are emailed to me. And I rely on the US Post Office to make the delivery within the promised 2-3 days within the contiguous United States. Alaska may be a little off, but the USPS makes sure delivery takes place within the same period. Thank you, USPS!

The shelf life of bread is usually beyond a week, so the USPS's guaranteed delivery is a big, big help. USPS enables me to meet customer's deadlines.