Jakes recounts the opportunity he saw in consumer packaged goods, “If Filipinos are such a big part of the community, then how come when I go to the major supermarkets and groceries in U.S., there’s no Filipino food on the shelf at all. It’s like we’re almost kind of relegated to that dusty corner of the Asian section where you have these MSG packets and things like that.”
He continues, “So I just saw this huge disconnect because I saw a lot of things happening at pop culture about Filipino cuisine, a lot of Filipino celebrities popping up, and it kind of seemed like the right time to introduce Filipino food.”
Today we talked with Jake Deleon, Founder of Fila Manila. Fila Manila offers a range of Authentic Filipino simmer sauces inspired by the rich flavors of the Philippine Islands.
We discussed topics from becoming entrepreneurs, failed startups, the lessons learned and building the #1 Filipino food brand in the USA. Topics include:
* His gratefulness for his previous startup experience and the lessons learned
* Why food and beverage is such a special category to be in
* The story of how and why his first startup shutdown
* What is Fila Manila?
* Origin story of brand
* His biggest fear and why it benefits the consumer
* Why there aren’t more Filipino brands in U.S. market and why representing Filipino culture is so important to him and the brand
* Advice for Founders on price points, product value and ingredients
* Why he accepts and loves the idea of Fila Manila representing Filipino culture
* What is Filipino cuisine?
* Where to start in your journey with Fila Manila
Join Ramon Vela and Jake Deleon as we break down the inside story of Fila Manila, on The Story of a Brand.
For more on Fila Manila, visit: https://filamanila.com/
This episode is brought to you by Sendlane.
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