How Margarita Forés built a culinary empire with soft skills and tough love
Much has been written about the late chef Margarita Araneta Forés’ success in the male-dominated culinary world. While her pedigree and social status in the class-conscious society of the ’80s undoubtedly helped her gain media attention and customers, it was her soft skills—nurturing, creativity, attention to detail, inclusivity, and perseverance—that earned her the industry’s respect. Her authenticity and empathy inspired organizational dedication and loyalty. Forés treated everyone, regardless of background, as an equal.
“We often saw her as amiable and warm. Her employees witnessed her motherly side in daily operations, but she was a very tough boss. Everything had to be foolproof,” says Edgar Allan Caper, co-managing director with Forés’ sister, Bledes Forés, of the Cibo chain. She was meticulous in Cibo’s restaurants, from the location of electrical outlets to the design of the waiters’ station.
In the past decade, Cibo has been run by professionals, with her brother Jorge “Oye” Forés first as chief financial officer (now executive vice president), while she remained the creative director. Everything required her approval—be it the artwork in a marketing promotion, the restaurant decor, or the taste profile of a dish created by executive chef Jorge Mendez. Her son, Amado Forés, the newly appointed chairman, has now taken over her responsibilities.
“I learned about the creative process from her. For me, she’s the best artist I’ve worked with. She considered her dishes works of art,” Amado says.
Quality assurance officer
Cibo has recently begun rolling out an edited menu. In the past nine years, Forés stubbornly resisted removing slow-moving dishes. The compromise was to revive deleted dishes for limited periods. However, her strong will eventually led her to reinstate them permanently.
“I understand why she didn’t want to remove items from the menu. It was her canvas. She poured her heart into it,” recalls Caper. “Similarly, every communication material had to have soul. Her spirit was conveyed in every detail. When something was presented, she would either reject it outright or approve it immediately. She saw things in extremes—black or white, no gray areas.”
Even renderings of restaurants by her longtime architect, Jorge Yulo, were filled with comments, followed by constant revisions. “She put her stamp on everything, even a chair or table,” says Caper.
Caper’s and Forés’ management styles contrasted starkly. Caper, an expert in operations and marketing, acted with urgency, while Forés was deliberate and cautious. On occasion, Caper bypassed Forés in marketing decisions to beat deadlines. For instance, his marketing team once conducted a photo shoot for Cibo’s Christmas promotion, featuring gold ribbons and other embellishments that clashed with Forés’ aesthetic. This material was released without her approval. Forés subsequently reprimanded him, clarifying that Cibo’s image was contemporary and its color palette metallic. Gold, she explained, was reserved for her other restaurant, Lusso.
Forés, with her famously hands-on management, called him late every night to deliver a stern critique. The following morning, she would apologize for being brusque. Caper recognized that her feedback, though blunt, was invaluable in maintaining Cibo’s standards. He appreciated that only she could point out any lapses. Her daily feedback kept the team consistently alert. “I will miss those calls,” he says as he holds back his tears.
“She essentially served as the main quality assurance officer,” he explains. “She’d visit the restaurant, order the most demanding dishes, which often included seemingly simple ones like the Spaghettini al 34 (thinner spaghetti with smoked white fish) or the Tagliata di Manzo (sliced beef).” Thanks to Cibo’s well-organized structure, any deviations from standards could be easily traced.
Everyone’s ‘mother’
“It was purely work, nothing personal,” Caper insists. Despite his perception that his output was inadequate by her standards, postmortem accounts revealed Forés’ high regard for him. He frequently watched a video of her surprise appearance as guest of honor at his 43rd birthday party in May 2024. In the video, a misty-eyed Forés declared, “The golden years of Cibo have been the last seven, and it’s because of you.”
Cibo’s employees and collaborators, including pizza chef/consultant Stefano Canosci, looked up to Forés as a mother. “Margarita loved her employees like family,” says Caper. “If someone was hospitalized on duty, she was the first to inquire about their well-being.” Unbeknown to many, Forés was deeply religious and mandated that every store opening be preceded by a Holy Mass.
Last year, Cibo launched its first incentive travel program, a suggestion from Oye, who recommended rewarding managers with something more meaningful than cash. In January 2024, Forés, Caper, and the top-performing managers embarked on a 10-day tour of Italy. Employees were delighted to see a more relaxed side of their boss.
“We were in Lusso when she rearranged our schedules, making bookings in Italian. Margarita reserved all the restaurants she wanted us to experience,” Caper recalls.
At Rimini, an international trade show for artisan desserts and coffee, she rejected Caper’s suggestion to divide the Cibo team in navigating the fair. At 65, Forés, with her experience, guided her team through the fair, selecting the finest gelatos, pastries, and baked goods. “She was generous in sharing her knowledge,” Caper says.
Despite long work hours, Forés always appeared fit and energetic, attending early meetings with a bubbly personality and personally styling Cibo’s catering. Notably, she handled a catering event just before her trip to Morocco. A cancer survivor, she would say that her annual physical examinations in Singapore yielded consistently good results. Tragically, on Feb. 11, she died of cardiac arrest in her Hong Kong hotel room.
On March 22, the eve of what would have been her 66th birthday, family and friends will hold a private event commemorating the 40th day since Forés’ passing.
“Margarita always celebrated with a salubong,” Caper says.
