The Wholesome Table, Manila’s best-rated and most popular organic restaurant, is thrilled to announce its 10th anniversary. Since it was opened in July 2014 by mompreneur Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, The Wholesome Table has been dedicated to serving diners and patrons wholesome, locally sourced meals that delight the palate and nourish the body.
The brand’s goal is “to build a healthy food culture where people can begin to make informed decisions about the food they eat and take charge of their health, by educating them about natural, organic food, nutrition and the environment. After all, it is one of the few things consumers can control in life.” As their brand motto goes, “Eat consciously. Live consciously.”
As Bianca and her team focus on a new vision for The Wholesome Table, many plans are brewing ahead. “I would love to do a twist on the brand, maybe another related concept. I’m open to it right now. My creative juices are flowing. My team inspires me to do something new.
“We’re also working hard on the farm. We started it pre-pandemic but had to close during because everything just stopped and it didn’t make sense to do it back then. Now we’re ready. One of the challenges we’ve always had at The Wholesome Table was suppliers because we were organic. We often lack supply of certain vegetables because of the standards we imposed. I always wanted a farm that’s going to fuel the restaurant and it’s going to be even more than organic — it’s going to be biodynamic. Everybody will be eating produce and products from the farm, maybe even be able to buy from it,” says Bianca.
Ten years may have gone by so fast, but anything greatly achieved comes with its own challenges. Back in 2019, The Wholesome Table was not exempted from the difficulties brought by the pandemic. Bianca shared, “Nobody was prepared for the lockdowns. The way it was handled in this country was tough for restaurants. We closed several branches in the process. To keep the brand alive, we had to sacrifice a few. But we are among the ones that overcame. We are still alive and still around. It’s a relief. Our present goal is to rebuild and open more branches and hopefully get back to where we were and even expand further.” Currently, their Makati (Salcedo) and BGC branches are up and running, with a new one opening by the fourth quarter of the year.
To celebrate this milestone, The Wholesome Table is holding a month-long celebration this July. Other than the revival of their classics for the special anniversary menu by executive chef, Chrioni Castillo, guests and patrons will be given discounts and the chance to win gift certificates, too.
Here are the anniversary offerings:
•The Classics Are Back: A curated selection of the best-selling classics that reflect the brand’s commitment to organic gastronomy and sustainability, exclusively available in the Special Anniversary Menu with 10-percent off on delivery: Get 10-percent off when you order from GrabFood from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the month of July.
•Wholesome afternoons: Get 10-percent off when you dine in at their branches from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. from 16 July to 31 July.
•Sweet treats: Get a free scoop of ice cream at the BGC branch on 11 July.
•Celebrate 10 Wholesome years on social media promo: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @thewholesometable and watch out for their contest mechanics to get a chance to win gift certificates.
What started as a vision of one mom to encourage others that healthy and mindful eating can be both enjoyable and beneficial for them and the farming community has now become a restaurant brand that has stand the test of time.
As Bianca shared, “I’m so proud and happy that we’ve reached our 10th anniversary. When I opened The Wholesome Table, I never thought it would be as popular as it is and that it would last this long. I’m so happy that it resonated with the Manila crowd, along with the tourists and foreigners who have patronized our restaurant over and over again. I did not imagine this. I’m looking forward to the next 10 years.”
