Community Highlights: Meet Vilma Moredo of FiliChateau

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vilma Moredo.

Vilma, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Born in the Philippines, 56 years old, migrated to Tennessee in 2013.
FiliChateau is 40 years in the making. It started with my penchant for cooking and a dream to be in the food business. I felt a lot of joy whenever I serve the foods that I cooked for families and friends. That dream stayed with me until present day. It has finally evolved into what it is today, a gourmet patisserie and cakes bakeshop. I have realized that FiliChateau is more than a dream come true. It is indeed a testament to God’s goodness, guidance and Divine supervision. My daughters, Andrea Benson and Samantha Moredo were led to share my vision for FiliChateau. Andrea’s natural talent and creativity, enhance by her specialization in Multimedia Arts in college, covered the critically needed aspect of promotions. She also has a big heart for philanthropy. It is her dream, as business allows, to make FiliChateau a channel of blessings to people in need through organizing fundraising events and efforts that will not only bring people together for the good food, but also for the opportunity to support a cause. As if by providential design, Samantha’s story is pretty much like mine. As early as age 9, she developed a keen interest in baking all sorts of breads. Thus, in her later teens she decided to pursue a course in Culinary Arts at Auguste Escoffier Culinary Arts School in Boulder, Colorado, specifically in preparation to establish FiliChateau. Her boundless energy and interest allows her to wake up 4:00 in the morning to bake pastries and breads. From day 1 we have witnessed the hand of God faving the way to organize FiliChateau, providing Divine intervention as we face highly problematic situations that were beyond our capability to solve. Finally, on December 15, 2024 we opened our doors to the public, There was an immediate groundswell of public appreciation for the quality of food, the beautiful murals by my son-in-law, Joshua Benson and the prompt, courteous and pleasant service of our staff. Their endorsement was overwhelming.

People love the food and the ambiance, thanking God that they finally have a place like FiliChateau. Some people say “We have been waiting for something like this for a long time. Finally, it is here”. Word of mouth has grown, and a lot of people in the neighborhood are visiting to see what the buzz is all about.

Over the past four months, we have been introducing different pastries such as Ensaymadas (a Filipino brioche-pastry filled with purple yam, topped with buttercream and cheese, Enchanted Forest (Filipino delicacy with dates, walnuts and cranberries which are exquisitely crafted into pure buttery bliss), pecan roll dipped in rich caramel, rolled in the freshest fancy, toasted pecans, sans rival a Filipino dessert cake made of layers of French buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews, cream puffs, eclairs, and Mille Feuille from France to name a few.

As FiliChateau is a family business, Leyol, my husband, is also working behind the scenes. We try to keep our children and grandchildren involved. We have Aviela Benson (11) and Gabriela Benson (8) who helped paint FiliChateau as they bonded with their father Joshua Benson, who covered the space with his murals and gallery wall of paintings.

Of late, we have been getting more and more orders associated with private parties and celebrations. We consider it with pure joy and privilege to offer our services to our community in Mt. Juliet.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our business is sensitive to the strong pressure exerted by the chaotic national economic situation. Our ingredients such as eggs, dairy, flour are getting more and more expensive. Furthermore, our market tends to be conservative in matters of spending nowadays.

We’ve been impressed with FiliChateau, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
FiliChateau is our family legacy, offering a fusion of Filipino and French-inspired pastries and desserts, as well as an International-inspired special selection of baked goods. Its unique marriage of ingredients and cultures will create an exciting new experience for exotic and traditional food lovers alike, incorporating eclectic and live music periodically to bring family and friends together. It is a hub for small groups, Bible study groups, meetings, and family gatherings; an avenue to share God’s love with unbelievers and fellow believers; and a venue that hosts events such as art shows and live music performances designed to uplift spirits. These events is helping fund and support people in need including nonprofit organizations that benefit the homeless and the hungry.

We are the first and only bakeshop and cafe in Mt. Juliet that offers a combination of Filipino and French cuisine. It is not likely that you will find the likes of our unique fusion of Filipino and French patisserie in the whole of Tennessee.

Our 5 most popular products are Ensaymadas, Enchanted Forest (Filipino pastries), Cream Puffs and Macarons (French pastries), Baklava Pistachio Cheesecake. It also gives us great pride when our patrons express their appreciation 0f the artistic design of our bakeshop.

We accept pre-orders for private parties. We also accept reservations for small groups which hold meetings in our premises. We can customize packages for special events.

Call to order : (615)288-4257
Website: filichateau.com
FB: @filichateau
Instagram: @filichateau

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What we like most is the very strong community spirit. What we like least is the lack of public transpo system in Mt. Juliet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.filichateau.com
• Instagram: @filichateau
• Facebook: @filichateau