foodpanda Champions Cebu and Visayas Food Businesses at CRAVE 2026

CEBU CITY, Philippines — foodpanda brought together restaurant owners, food entrepreneurs, and merchant partners from across the Visayas for the CRAVE Partner Summit & Awards 2026 in Cebu City, highlighting the growing role of digital platforms in helping local food businesses expand their reach, improve operations, and grow beyond their home markets.

The foodpanda CRAVE 2026 event in Cebu gathered restaurant leaders from Central, Eastern, and Western Visayas, with a focus on helping homegrown food businesses use digital tools to adapt to changing consumer demand and strengthen their operations.

Beyond food delivery, foodpanda is helping regional restaurants and food businesses access real-time customer insights, targeted marketing solutions, and improved delivery fulfillment. These tools allow merchants to better respond to demand from local customers as well as tourists visiting Cebu and other destinations across the Visayas.

“Our mission is to actively power the growth of our merchant partners,” said Patricia Jacinto, Director for Growth and Marketing at foodpanda Philippines. “When Visayan restaurants combine their culinary expertise with foodpanda’s ecosystem and insights, they can respond faster to market shifts, drive higher order volumes, and sustainably scale their businesses beyond physical storefronts.”

foodpanda Recognizes Top Cebu and Visayas Food Brands

CRAVE 2026 recognized foodpanda partner merchants across the Visayas for strong sales performance, business growth, marketing, customer engagement, and operational excellence.

The Pau-Pau’s Top of Table Award, recognizing market leadership and sales performance, was awarded to Alberto’s Pizza, Sal’s Bar and Restaurant, Dimsum Break, Ribshack, and PorkHub.

The Pau-Pau’s Momentum Master Award recognized Sisigan Sa Doctors, Ma. Lina Catering Services, The Original AA BBQ, Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries, and Tiktilaok for their outstanding year-on-year growth during the first half of 2026.

For innovative marketing and strong partnerships with foodpanda, Felisa’s Cafe & Restaurant, Mom Rose, Cebu’s Tasty Lechon, Cribs, Ram’s Pizza, Pasta and Milktea, and Metro Retail Supermarket received the Pau-Pau’s Brand Spotlight Award.

The Operational Excellence Award went to Hybrid Coffee, Somac Korean Restaurant, Got Tea? Crafted Milk Tea, Popcha Milktea Station, Gabby’s Bistro, and Rose Pharmacy, recognizing their seamless fulfillment and reliable service.

Meanwhile, the People’s Palate Award recognized crowd favorites with strong customer ratings and repeat orders, honoring Hukad Everyday Filipino, SAJ HUT, Mango Magic, Dapogan, and Wingers Unlimited.

Cebu Food Businesses Expand Their Digital Reach

Several Cebu-based brands were among the businesses highlighted during CRAVE 2026.

Alberto’s Pizza, which was founded in Cebu in 2008, received the gold Pau-Pau’s Top of Table Award for sales performance and market leadership. The brand continues to serve affordable pizzas across the VisMin region.

Hukad Everyday Filipino received the gold People’s Palate Award for its strong customer following and ratings. The brand traces its roots to Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant, which began in Cebu City in 1982.

Cebu’s Tasty Lechon also shared its growth story at the Cebu summit. Owner Gay Martinez discussed the brand’s journey from its beginnings in 2016 to more than 20 branches across Cebu, with foodpanda helping expand its reach.

Meanwhile, Hybrid Coffee, based in Lapu-Lapu City, received the gold Operational Excellence Award. The neighborhood café combines coffee, home-style meals, and a carwash in its business concept.

foodpanda Invests in Continued Merchant Growth

Looking ahead to the holiday season, foodpanda is further developing its merchant ecosystem with AI-driven forecasting tools and automated marketing features designed to help regional vendors maximize daily capacity and encourage repeat orders.

“We view ourselves as a complete growth engine for regional entrepreneurs,” said Jacinto. “We’re here to ensure local food brands across the Visayas have every technological advantage needed to thrive.”

The Cebu leg of foodpanda CRAVE 2026 brought together partner vendors to celebrate their achievements and strengthen long-term partnerships. Foodpanda Philippines leaders also shared business trends, digitalization opportunities, emerging dining trends, and upcoming holiday campaigns during the event.

Following the Cebu event, the nationwide CRAVE 2026 roadshow heads to Manila for its final leg.