A new culinary gem has arrived in Arborg. The Croffles, a vibrant new eatery, has opened its doors to the community, offering an irresistible fusion of Filipino treats and bubble tea.
The Croffles is Arborg’s newest food stop, serving up some of the most popular items: croffles and bubble tea.
Owned by Rachelle Mangunay, The Croffles is Arborg’s first of its kind, and the hype has been real.
Mangunay has turned her long-held dream into reality and when she found her partner Luigi B Maniquis who shared that dream, they started working on it together. The pair have been searching for a space for their restaurant since 2022, and they recently found one that’s perfect for their business.
Sitting at Unit 3 – 356 River Road, The Croffles has been serving the popular croissant waffle and bubble tea for about two weeks now, ending many of those days early due to being sold out.
“We came up on the idea on selling bubble tea, it’s because this is one of Asian pride and bubble tea is our favorite,” said Mangunay. “Every time that we are going to Winnipeg, we always drink bubble tea, so we decided to turn our cravings on selling it and share the satisfaction to others too.”
She said starting a business from scratch is not easy, and “the road to success isn’t always a straight line.” Mangunay took calls, worked with people to learn about building a business, and met with the mayor to learn even more. Construction of their shop started in August of this year, and with the help of family and friends, The Croffles officially opened on Oct. 26, 2024, when they sold 153 bubble teas and 107 croffles.
The different croffle flavours currently available are:
– Classic: chocolate, caramel, strawberry, or milky creamy
– Almond Series: chocolate, caramel, strawberry, Biscoff, or milky creamy
– Premium Deluxe: chocolate Oreo, strawberry Oreo, caramel Oreo, premium Biscoff, or s’mores
The different bubble tea flavours currently available are:
– Classic: chocolate, mocha, Okinawa, brown sugar, red velvet, avocado, or taro
– Jelly Series: mango, coconut, or strawberry
– Cheesecake Series: matcha, taro, strawberry, red velvet, avocado, or Oreo
– Milk Series: matcha, taro, mango, red velvet, avocado, chocolate, or mocha
Soon, The Croffles will add hot drinks to their menu, just in time for the colder weather. Right now, the shop is open during the following hours:
– Monday: closed
– Tuesday to Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
– Sunday: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Mangunay learned to make bubble tea and croffles by watching YouTube videos, researching the topic online, taking training courses, and taking tips from two friends who worked in a coffee shop in Singapore.
“And also with the help of my friends and family for everyday taste tests to get the perfect measure of each item,” she said.
Mangunay and her family are running the shop right now, and she plans to hire two students to work after school as well. She’s excited to share her culture with her Canadian community, satisfy local bubble tea cravings, and offer a new food no one else in the area serves.
“As a small business owner, I would like to contribute to the growth of the community, attracting visitors to the town,” said Mangunay. “It is excited yet terrifying, however, I have the strong feeling that we will do great on this.”
To follow The Croffles and stay up to date with the shop, like them on Facebook at The Croffles.
Express Photo by Raven De Jesus
