Mercato Centrale renews Pasig lease 

Mercato Centrale, an outdoor food market in the Philippines, said it has renewed its ties with Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) and forged new partnerships at Bridgetowne Destination Estates, a mixed-use township and business park development in Pasig City, according to a report by BusinessMirror.

The Mercato Centrale Group said it has renewed its lease with RLC to continue operating at Bridgetowne. 

“This renewal ensures the continued operation of the highly popular outdoor food market at Bridgetowne Destination Estates, a mixed-use township and business park development located on the border of Pasig and Quezon City,” it said in a statement.

RJ Ledesma, Chief Innovation Officer of Mercato Centrale, cited the “strong and steady” foot traffic at Bridgetowne for the partnership, adding this “makes it the perfect venue for launching new food concepts by our small food business entrepreneurs.” 

“Bridgetowne is a family-oriented destination filled with fun outdoor activities like concerts, an obstacle course, a motorcycle riding academy, and FIFA-preferred turf football fields,” Ledesma said. 

RLC said it supports the advocacy of Mercato Centrale for small food business entrepreneurship as it “adds another layer of excitement to Bridgetowne.”

“It has been a fantastic partnership. Mercato has consistently been open to exploring new concepts and initiatives at Bridgetowne,” said Jubie Anne Villarte, Head of Leasing at RLC Integrated Developments Division.

In addition to the lease renewal, Mercato Centrale announced new partnerships as it aims to enhance the food market’s offerings. 

A collaboration with Okane Kitchen, a company specializing in back-end kitchen operations for SMEs, will introduce new food concepts to Mercato Centrale’s lineup, the food market noted.

“We share a common vision of supporting the growth of SMEs, and we’re excited to create exclusive food concepts for Mercato,” said Fritzvon Capulong, CEO of Okane Ventures Corp.

Mercato Centrale also said it partnered with Fly Ace Corp., one of the country’s leading food and beverage companies and the exclusive distributor of Franzia Wines.

It said this collaboration will bring the boxed wine experience to Mercato. 

“We want to show that Franzia Wines can be enjoyed with any type of food, and Mercato is the ideal environment for this. 

With its diverse range of offerings—from Japanese to Korean to Filipino regional and street foods—Mercato provides the perfect backdrop for showcasing the versatility of Franzia Wines,” said Philip Opiasa, Senior Business Development Manager at Fly Ace.

Mercato Centrale was launched in 2011 at the Bonifacio Global City Tent. It was established by Ledesma, its co-founder, to support food entrepreneurs.

According to the Mercato Centrale Group’s website, the food market is present in Taguig City and Makati City.