foodpanda CRAVE 2026 Recognizes the Fastest-Growing Digital Restaurants in Mindanao | #BenchPaylaBlog

foodpanda marked a strong first half of 2026 and looked ahead to new opportunities with its merchant partners.

Davao City, Philippines — Digital commerce is turning local Mindanao eateries into regional powerhouses. Unlocking new revenue streams through platform analytics, AI discovery, and targeted marketing, standout merchants across Davao and beyond were thrust into the spotlight at foodpanda’s CRAVE Partner Summit & Awards 2026.

Expanding Reach Beyond the Storefront

The growth celebrated at CRAVE is reflected not only in business performance, but also in how merchants use digital tools to drive visibility, demand, and customer engagement.

“Through foodpanda, merchants can benefit from platform-wide demand generation initiatives, including fully funded promotional campaigns, customer acquisition and retention vouchers, and free-delivery offers,” said Leopoldo De Castro, Jr., Director of Finance, foodpanda. “They can also use marketing tools, with guidance from the platform, such as sponsored listings, CPC campaigns, deals, and Pro campaigns, alongside self-managed promotions like combo meals, flash sales, and seasonal offers.”

Leopoldo De Castro Jr., Finance Director at foodpanda Philippines, opened CRAVE 2026 by underscoring the company’s commitment to merchant collaboration and business development.

Customer and order insights help merchants understand demand and make informed decisions on menus and promotions. Using these tools strategically is key, with merchants able to choose solutions that align with their business goals and customers. On the customer side, AI Smart Search, personalized recommendations, in-app ratings, and AI-powered review highlights further support merchant discovery and informed ordering.

Celebrating Merchant Excellence

These capabilities were reflected in the businesses honored at CRAVE 2026, with standout partners recognized across the following categories:

Tuna Republik President Shiella Aranas shared the brand’s scaling journey and the role of foodpanda in its expansion.

Pau-Pau’s Top of Table

Celebrating vendors that excelled in sales performance and demonstrated market leadership.

●        Tuna Republik

●        JM Shawarma

●        Villa Tuna Restaurant

●        Family Fried Chicken

●        Bagong Lipunan

Pau-Pau’s Momentum Master

Recognizing vendors with strong year-over-year performance during the first half of 2026.

●        Manolo Halo-Halo

●        Bread & Brew Cafe

●        Nikko’s Brew

●        Pater Al-Kuwait – Aguinaldo Street

●        Backyard BBQ

Pau-Pau’s Brand Spotlight

Honoring vendors that elevated their brands through innovative marketing, consistent performance, and strong partnerships with foodpanda.

●        Haveli King

●        Bar ko sa Lagao

●        Bigby’s

●        Pansititoy

●        Conlu Bread and Pastry Shop

Operational Excellence

Highlighting vendors that upheld high operational standards and delivered seamless, reliable service.

●        Aling Paz Food Haus

●        Mang Paeng’s Inasal

●        Chicken Hauz

●        Kudus Tapsihan

●        Butcher’s Best Barbeque

People’s Palate Award

Celebrating crowd favorites with consistent repeat orders and strong customer ratings.

●        Bigby’s

●        Yamashita Diner

●        New Davao Famous

●        We Got Cha

●        Mandarin Tea Garden

“Our merchant partners know their businesses and customers best, and our role is to give them the tools, insights, and opportunities to help them grow. When used strategically, digital solutions can help businesses expand their customer base, respond to demand, and build stronger customer relationships,” said Leopoldo De Castro, Jr.“ CRAVE celebrates the businesses putting these opportunities into action and the partnerships we continue to build with them.”

Kathleen Huang of Unilever Food Solutions explored what innovation means to today’s diners and food businesses.

Growing the Digital Commerce Ecosystem

Beyond traditional restaurant delivery, foodpanda continues to expand its quick-commerce footprint through pandamart and foodpanda Shops—giving consumers seamless access to groceries and everyday essentials while building a resilient digital infrastructure for local retailers.

As merchant partners scale on the platform, their success creates a powerful multiplier effect across Mindanao, directly supporting local riders, staff, agricultural suppliers, and regional economies.

The Davao event marks the launch of the nationwide CRAVE 2026 series, which will move to Cebu before its grand finale in Manila. Beyond celebrating partner success, the tour highlights foodpanda’s commitment to accelerating the digital transformation of the Philippine food and retail industry.

Thank you for reading. Catch you in the next one!

-BENCH