Chickpea Deli

The latest fast-food craze to hit Metro Manila has finally arrived! Chickpea Deli, located at the third level of Robinson’s Galleria, is a haven for foodies and non-foodies alike who crave something a little more than your typical burger-and-fries combo meals. They serve great-tasting sandwiches (called stacks) and wraps with an exotic twist: instead of meat patties, they are filled with falafels, a Mediterranean dish made of chickpeas, herbs and spices that taste and feel like meat.

Chickpea Deli, which was developed by Fernbelly Inc., is completely owned and operated by a group of senior BS Management students at the Ateneo de Manila University, namely Anna Tantuico, Jaime Paraiso, Neil Ching, David del Rosario and Isabel Jalbuena. It aims to bring healthful food into the mainstream and is conceptualized as a kiosk-type Quick-Service Outlet which offers healthy, palatable, and affordable on-the-go food choices.

The concept was born out of an observation one of the members had while vacationing in Spain. While in Madrid, Anna discovered a restaurant which serves falafel wraps and salads ready-to-eat. It had already met huge success in the international community, and Anna brought the concept home and, along with a group of friends, localized it to cater to the Filipino market with the help of the Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Management Business Accelerator Program. The program, with its advisor Mr. Armando Miclat, was instituted by the John Gokongwei School of Management to identify promising and innovative business ventures, and to help the students who conceptualized them to bring these business ideas into reality.

Typically, the SOMBA program centers on products or product lines that are sold through supermarkets, or grocery stores. Chickpea Deli has the distinction of being the first service-oriented, direct-to-consumer venture under the SOMBA program. Isabel adds, “Putting this business together was really exciting because even we have been waiting for this kind of food. It’s definitely something that the market was lacking. Now it’s here and that healthier option is available to everyone. Going the healthy route shouldn’t be so difficult anymore.”

Having already tried almost all their variants of wraps and stacks and yet still finding himself coming back for more, this author would have to agree.