The coronavirus pandemic has caused a rapid and seismic shift in business trends. The food industry, where my small enterprise belongs, was one of the hardest-hit sectors, forcing most of us to rethink, step back, and reassess how to surmount the new challenge.
Through the years, I mainly sold at bazaars such as the American Women’s Bazaar and weekend markets such as the Salcedo Saturday Market.
Along the way, resellers such as Gourmet Corner (Makati), Manila’s Best (Manila Polo Club), and The Larder (Madison Galleries) have also begun catering my products.
As the COVID-19 situation in the country worsened and the food industry started shutting down, I was forced to create innovative solutions for the survival of Jaq’s Kitchen.
As the foot traffic lessened, I realized that in order to keep our business afloat, we have to keep ourselves relevant online.
As people confine themselves at home and delivery has become everyone’s preferred option, it is imperative that through a single post we are able to capture the attention of not only our long-time customers but also individuals just scrolling through social media.
We have invested more in taking visually appealing photos and videos in order for them to be able to speak on behalf of the product.
Additionally, I have begun joining a variety of groups on platforms such as Facebook and Viber not only to sell my products but to also support fellow home cooks.
“ Challenges continue to come our way with some more manageable than others, but to keep a dream alive means that I cannot succumb to fear and uncertainty. ”
Moving forward, I currently have collaborations with local producers to create new products and keep jobs. One of which is being a test kitchen for other food companies that want to expand their product line. Additionally, I have begun creating new products that I plan to add to my product line soon.
Challenges continue to come our way with some more manageable than others, but to keep a dream alive means that I cannot succumb to fear and uncertainty. By using my God-given talents, being more creative and positive while learning along the way has given me hope and the drive to continue moving forward to fulfil my dream of making Jaq’s Kitchen a world-renowned business exporting delicious gourmet-style Filipino products.
Edited by Rica Delfinado
Jennie Chung-Orros is the owner of Jaq’s Kitchen, a well-loved staple at the Salcedo Saturday Market. Jaq’s Kitchen, named after Jennie’s daughter, is known for its bottled goodies like Vodka Tinapa, Santol Rum, Tuyo with Salted Egg, Creamed Shiitake Pesto, and more.