Anticipation is high as a local chocolate maker shared that it is finally pursuing its comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic and other incidents that delayed its initial return.
Serg’s Chocolate, on Monday, January 26, announced that it is ready to re-enter the market in 2026, saying it hopes to do so by the third quarter “if everything goes well.”
“We meant it when we said ‘Serg’s is coming back’ in a November 2019 Inquirer article. COVID-19 changed everything,” it said in a Facebook post.
In a report published on Nov. 29, 2019, it was stated that the local “sari-sari store-accessible” chocolate brand was set to stage a “comeback” after certain incidents affected the business and its owners.
These included the Marcos dictatorship and the Asian financial crisis.
Randy Ong, the son-in-law of the late Sergio Goquiolay — whose father formed Serg’s — previously said he wanted to revive the company. He maintained a Facebook page where he “fed on nostalgia and people’s penchant for comebacks and revivals.”
The company said that aside from the pandemic, other incidents also contributed to the delay of its return.
“The 2024 Carina floods hit our warehouse that houses our machinery, delaying our small-batch setup. Add a few uncertainties that forced us to rethink the plan — but 2026 will be our restart year,” it said.
“Carina” refers to Super Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi), which brought torrential rains and massive floods in the country in July 2024.
“We’re starting small — Serg’s Chocolate Bars — back where it all began in 1954 on Cordillera St., Quezon City. We’ll share our plan and progress (Q1) publicly for transparency and accountability until we get this done,” the company added in its post.
The company also appealed for support, urging the public to share its Facebook and Instagram accounts to help spread the latest developments.
“Share stories and memories with the younger generation about Serg’s Chocolates,” it said.
“Maraming Salamat po sa inyong pag-unawa, and we apologize for the delay,” the company concluded.
Serg’s was a local chocolate brand popular in the 1980s and 1990s, a time when local chocolates were few and imported ones were mostly reserved for special occasions such as Christmas and birthdays.
Easily recognizable by its pinstripe wrapper, the chocolate was described as having a “smoother texture” than most chocolates today that was “not too sweet, not sour, or waxy.”
“Just balanced. Distinct. Dependable. A kind of chocolate that felt like a small reward after a long day or a simple reminder that someone thought of you,” a nostalgia-driven blog once said.
Serg’s produced various chocolate products, including the Serg’s Chocolate Bar, Egg Chocolate, Pralin, Moonbits, Lollipop and Cocoa Powder.
