Meet CHEF PHILIPPE, the newest French eatery in Suva

It all started with a social media post.

Noellie and Philippe Garand jumped at a turn-key business opportunity advertised on Mana Coffee's Facebook page in February this year.

They quickly made an offer, and by March, the couple signed a rental lease for the cafe space at Selbourne Street in Suva.

By April, they had settled in, with their work cut out. 

Faced with unforeseen expenses, Noellie and Philippe invested in new equipment, refurbished existing equipment, and hired contractors to bring the space up to their standard and prepare for its reopening.

They started serving customers in April.

It wasn't until early August that they reached an agreement with the cafe's former owners over the business arrangement.

This allowed them to rebrand the establishment to CHEF PHILIPPE café-restaurant.

The couple invested approximately $120,000 in the restaurant, which included contributions from Noellie’s consultancy, Soleya Pte Limited.

"It was not as easy as we thought it would be," Noellie said about the process it took to open the business.

"It was a long process, and we couldn't do it alone.”

Their biggest challenge now is managing costs, especially capital expenditures, while turning a profit and overseeing eight regular staff members and an attaché.

“We make good money already, but there are still a lot of expenses,” Noellie said.

They aim to cater on a larger scale to boost employee benefits. 

CHEF PHILIPPE café-restaurant at Selbourne Street in Suva.

Ministry of Trade

'Affordable French-inspired food'

French cuisine is not new to Fiji. 

But Noellie says CHEF PHILIPPE offers an "affordable" option of French-inspired food.

Open on Mondays through Saturdays, from 7 am to 8 pm, the café-restaurant offers breakfast and all-day menus featuring a wide range of beverages.

“It’s a café where you can come to discuss business during the week, but also enjoy a French cuisine dinner on Thursdays and Fridays," she added.

"We welcome families with their children on Saturdays."

In his remarks at CHEF PHILIPPE's grand opening on Wednesday this week, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica said the role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) was fundamental to the future and growth of Fiji.

"It is the backbone of the Fijian economy, at 18 per cent of GDP and the largest employer of people in Fiji at 60 per cent,” he said.

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