26 Years Later: Chef Gaita Fores Shares Throwback Pics of the First Cibo

(SPOT.ph) A whopping 26 years. That's how long it's been since homegrown restaurant chain Cibo made its debut—and apart from serving continually great Italian fare, they've also helped spread the appreciation for simple yet satisfying dishes with minimal but high-quality ingredients, true to Italian tradition. In light of their anniversary, Chef Margarita Forés posted photos of special moments in the Cibo journey, sharing the stories behind them and other fun tidbits before unveiling a new look for their long-loved Glorietta outpost.

Also read: 
You Can Get Cibo's Penne al Telefono, Spinach Dip + More for Just P26 
The 10 Most Popular Dishes at Cibo in Manila 
Do You Still Remember the First Cibo?

Check out these Cibo throwback photos posted by Chef Margarita Forés:

Cibo made its splash in 1997 with its first branch in Makati's Glorietta mall. The first-ever branch was actually an open-air café designed by Jorge Yulo, originally located at Glorietta 3 (on the walkway on the second floor that now bridges that part of the mall to Landmark!).

Also read: Do You Still Remember the First Cibo?

"26 years ago today, in this crazy common area space in Glorietta 3 fronting the access to the Landmark Department Store, I opened the first Cibo... with much eagerness and excitement, just wanting to share my passion for modern Italian cafe food with all of you," Forés shares in a Facebook post on her public page, published August 22. "I didn’t really know much what I was doing then, but all I knew was that there was just so much pouring out of my heart that I wanted to give to our country by way of food and all things Italian," she writes, attaching a photo of her from that time, smiling.

Also read: The SPOT.ph Guide to Italian Food

It was in 1998 that they moved to Glorietta 4, where their Glorietta branch still resides to this day. Forés shares more about this in a second Facebook post published August 23, with "glimpses of me in that cherished space when we started in 1998".

"Barely a year after Cibo happily operated in that first iconic space, we moved to our current Glorietta home for the last 25 years, because the bridgeway into Landmark finally opened," she writes." Also in the post are more recent photos, taken just a couple of months back before they would renovate—more on that below. "[These were taken] on the last day, two months ago before we finally said goodbye to the original, iconic Cibo Glorietta design."

Cibo unveiled the new look of their current Glorietta branch as they reopened on August 23—photos of which Forés posted on a third Facebook post just today, August 29. While the new Cibo Glorietta keeps some of its original features, it's also "now brighter and bigger, expanding onto a happy outside seating area." 

21 more Cibo branches later, where Forés "[learned] so much from both the successes and more so from the failures," she thanks "all those who have been part of this journey." "Grazie di cuore to you all for being part of our 26 years, and we toast to many many more!"

In the meantime, ICYMI, Cibo has an ongoing 26th anniversary promo which lets you order from a selection of Cibo dishes (their famous Spinaci Zola and Penne al Telefono are included!) for just P26 with the purchase of a gift certificate worth P1,000. Run to your nearest Cibo branch to avail of this if you haven't.

Also read: You Can Get Cibo's Penne al Telefono, Spinach Dip + More for Just P26 

For more information, check out the Facebook pages of Margarita Forés and Cibo.

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