GJ Jimenez and Maricel, his wife, started Banapple in 2007 in Quezon City with 1 million pesos of initial capital. Maricel has experience as a baker and GJ has marketing skills. They first sold Maricel's cakes and pastries through other shops. In 2007 they opened their own small shop called Banapple, known for banana toffee and apple pies. The business grew and they now have 5 branches, expanded their menu, and employ GJ's IT skills to manage operations.

1. MANAGEMENT 18 ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AIZELL A. BERNAL
BSBA 3 - HRDM
MR. R. POBLETE

2. Owner
- Maricel
and GJ Jimenez
Age Started
- Both 32 years old
Industry
- Food
Initial Capital
- P 1 Million
Name of Business
- Banapple
Year Established
- 2007

3. Banapple is best known for
Banoffee and Apple Caramel
Crumble Pies

4. GJ and Maricel both earned Business Administration
degrees from the University of the Philippines.
 GJ and Maricel Jimenez is a couple who tried their
hand at many business opportunities such as:
- squid ball stand franchise
- auction pawned jewelry
- operate money remittance
- sell phone credits
 Maricel is a certified whiz in baking.
 GJ, who honed his marketing and product
management skills sold his wife’s cakes and pastries
through coffee shops and restaurants.


5. After they got a deluge of orders and inquiries, the
couple decided to take the logical step to put up their
bakeshop.
 GJ resigned from his day job to concentrate on the
business while Maricel went full steam ahead into
perfecting her recipes.
 GJ shares: “I got a very friendly loan from my
parents which we earmarked for
construction, advance rent and security
deposit, initial stocks and ingredients, purchase of
additional baking equipment utensils and a very
huge and bright signage.”


6. Banapple opened in March 2007
along Katipunan.
 It was a small, cozy place where
the couple could sell their goodies
and maintain their preferred
intimate ambiance.
 They decided to name the shop “Banapple”
after their two most popular products, the
Banoffee (Banana Toffee) and Apple
Caramel Crumble Pie.


7. Maricel says: “We pinned down our concept of
Banapple as being a novel, slightly out of the way
bakery cafe establishment on Katipunan. As is
today, Banapple is very brightly-lit and is a happy
landmark at the northbound side of Katipunan
extension.”
 Banapple was catching the attention of some
people, but the first few months were especially
difficult and challenging for the Jimenezes.
 Learning from these birth pains, they have
successfully established Banapple as a popular food
shop and a favorite hangout.


8. 
1.
In four years, they have five branches.
Ayala Triangle Garden, Makati City

9. 2.
Greenhills, San Juan

10. 3.
Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa

11. 4.
Market Market, Taguig City

12. 5.
Tomas Morato, Quezon City

13. From pies and pastries, the menu now includes
pastas, salads, sandwiches, and hot rice meals.
 Maricel gets to expand her kitchen skills by whipping
up new items for their menu.
 GJ gets to use his IT skills by installing devices that
monitor the stores’ sales performance, inventory
levels and key processes in real time.
 He also manages the marketing communications
and corporate planning aspects of the business.
 GJ and Maricel says: “ We are inspired by our dear
customers who, with smiles on their faces, patiently
line up to experience Banapple.”
