Couple expands takeout counter to one of 'hottest' food destinations in Laguna

The Manila Times

Couple expands takeout counter to one of 'hottest' food destinations in Laguna  What began in 2011 as a tiny takeout counter near the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) —built from Chef Trin’s love for cooking and Jay-Are’s decision to leave a life at sea—has now grown into one of Los Baños’ most beloved Tex-Mex destinations.   Newly married and with Jeya expecting their first child, they took a leap of faith and opened SPICE JAR less than a month after their wedding—armed only with recipes inspired by the food they loved, a few jars of spices, and an unshakeable dream. Word of mouth carried them, but dedication, humility, and teamwork sustained them. From a humble counter to multiple relocations, and now to their biggest and most vibrant space filled with Coco-inspired murals and Austin-Texas artistry, SPICE JAR stands as a testament to growth, reinvention, and purpose, serving students, families, professionals, and communities with food created with love and seasoned with their signature herbs and spices for the past 14 years.  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Subscribe to Business Franchise Guru: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessFranchiseGuru   Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters  Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #themanilatimes  #philippines #entrepreneur

Transcript

00:00Green and JR, introduce yourself, what are the concepts of this?

00:15So, our restaurant is a Tex-Mex inspired restaurant offering different kinds of products like

00:25quesadilla, burritos, and may mga rice mill din po, at saka mga smoked meats like smoked angus and barbecue ribs.

00:34So, itong concept ng ating resto, pagdating sa aesthetics, meron kaming mural na Coco inspired.

00:43If you're familiar po dun sa movie na Coco, so yun yung inspiration, kaya po ganito yung itsura niya.

00:51Very festive and Mexican vibe.

00:55And then, itong isang part naman po na to is inspiration po niya is the famous parang mural din sa Austin, Texas.

01:04So, ginawa lang namin siyang parang artwork din na our version.

01:10So, kung ano yung mga text dyan, kami po yung nag-conceptualize kung ano yung ilalagay ito.

01:15So, para kayo, anong sinumula ng, anong years nagsimula ang Spice Jar?

01:21Ano po, 2011, nag-start kami as a small take-out counter po malapit sa UPLV.

01:29UP Los Banyos.

01:30Apo, Los Banyos.

01:31So, bakit kayo nakaisip ng negosyo?

01:34Actually, noon, ano, parang simula lang siya na parang, ano yun, libangan.

01:41Kasi nga po ako ay pregnant that time.

01:43And my husband po ay nag, ah, abroad, pupunta, nag-cruise, ah, ano taong ganun?

01:51Working sa cruise line.

01:53Working sa cruise line.

01:56And then, ako naman, wala akong gagawin since ako ay nagpapalaki nansyan.

02:00Naisip ko po na mag-putap ng isang maliit na paglilibangan since mahilip po akong magluto, kumain.

02:07Ah, nag-start yung Spice Jar from our favorite products po, or mga food na kinakain sa iba't ibang restaurant.

02:14Oo, pero JR, ano ba dati yung work mo? Sabi mo, nasa cruise ka?

02:18I was working sa cruise line po as a bar server.

02:22Uh-huh. So, ah, gano'ng katagal ko sa cruise?

02:25Five years din po ako ng cruise.

02:27Ah, and then, ah, five years?

02:29After five years, nag-retire na ako doon. Focused na po ako sa business ng Spice Jar.

02:33But you said 2011. And, ah, I understand you were just newly married at the time when you started.

02:40Paano yan? Di ba mahirap?

02:41Medyo...

02:42Parang, ah, parang nagsimula pa lang kayo. Ito na, 11, ila ka many months? 11 months?

02:47Opo.

02:48Simula na agad kayo ng restaurant?

02:50Actually po, less than a month.

02:52Less than a month.

02:53Kasi po, kinasal kami ay September 30, October 21 of 2011, ay meron na pong Spice Jar.

03:01Pero nga, take-out lang siya. And then, lumaki na, nagkaroon ng dining area, lumipat ng location.

03:08Every three years po ata, eh, lumilipat kami ng location.

03:12And then, this is the last biggest location ever, na six years na po kami standing dito.

03:19Ah, six years. Okay, so standing.

03:21But ano, saan-saan galing yung mga customers ninyo?

03:24Before, talaga, ang customers namin is more on mga UPLB students. Sila po talaga yung nagsimula ng pagpapakalat. Word of mouth talaga po nagsimula.

03:36Kasi ako ay may mga affiliation sa UP. So, talagang ang unang mga naging customers ko po ay mga orgmates ko.

03:44O, ayan. Sila na yung nagpakalat na ito masarap dito sa Spice Jar.

03:49Kaya po, nagkaroon ng malaking demand pagdating sa mga studyante.

03:53Then, eventually, nagkaroon na ng malaking place na cater na po namin yung mga offices, mga young professionals, and even families po.

04:04So, ikaw, Jaya, paano naman kayo nagdedivide ng trabaho?

04:08Ano po, ayan ang magandang pag-usapan?

04:11Kasi lahat ng ating nanonood dito ay, paano kaya mag-asawang ito ay nag-handle ng kanilang negosyo?

04:17So, napakagandang tanong na yan. So, sa aming mag-asawa, si Chef Trin ang nangasiwa sa lahat ng kitchen operations,

04:24product development, and also the digital marketing.

04:27Ika-create ng mga menus, mga postings sa social media. Ako naman po, even the HR duty siya ang gumagawa.

04:35Ako naman, ang part ko is to monitor the dining services to ensure that the service na ginagawa natin ay kasok sa standard ng ating company.

04:44And also, siyempre, favorite nila ako every 15 and 30 dahil ako ang payroll master.

04:51Siya po talaga pagdating sa mga ganong aspect ng business.

04:55So, saan nyo ipitake itong spice jar? Ano ba plano nyo? Anong plano ng mag-asawang ito?

05:03Siyempre, hanggang ngayon, plan pa din namin, hindi nawawala yung dream namin na maishare ito sa ibang tao.

05:10So, we're looking forward na sana mag-prosper and ma-develop ito into something na pwede naming maishare din sa iba na maalagaan nila yung spice jar.

05:22Wow! So, ano pa ba ang masasabi natin?

05:25Mga tips siguro doon sa mga mag-asawa na magsisimula

05:29or di mo ang gusto mag-dress, maglagay ng negosyo? Ano ba mapapain yung mag-asawa kayo?

05:36Ang pag-negosyo talaga ay hindi madali. Talagang sasamahan mo ito ng maraming dasal, dedication, passion.

05:45So, mag-negosyo ka kung ano yun sa tingin mo na masaya mong gagawin.

05:50Hindi lang yung maisip mo lang mag-negosyo.

05:53So, bilang couple naman as a business partner, it's an advantage kasi araw-araw kayong magkasama.

06:00And then, mas magandang mapag-iisipan yung mabuti ang mga hakbangin yung papalago ng negosyo.

06:07Okay. So, expansion-wise naman, ano ba ang plano ngayon ng spice jar?

06:12So, expansion, are you looking forward at putting more branches?

06:18Let's bring it to the next level, no?

06:20We're looking forward po talaga na mapakalat natin si spice jar within Laguna and even Metro Manila

06:29or even Global, di ba? Why not?

06:32Yes.

06:33So, let's start po sana na magsimulang magkaroon ng another branch

06:38para naman mas makilala po si spice jar sa Laguna.

06:42Sige na pala, may mga siguro nagkatanong,

06:45bakit nga ba spice at jar? Ano yung jar? Ano yung jar?

06:49Bakit ganun?

06:50Actually, yung kwento po talaga bakit spice jar yung pangalan.

06:53Nagsimula kasi kami, meron kaming display of spices dun sa maliit naming counter.

06:59So, dun po nakuha yung pangalan, since ginagamit nga namin siya pang timpla ng mga meats,

07:06yun na rin yung naging parang concept na different herbs and spices yung ginagamit

07:12kaya sumasarap yung mga product.

07:15Dun naman po din nakuha niyang asawa ko yung pangalan

07:19dahil na-pressure na po siya sa DTI

07:21dahil originally po ang pangalan yung spice up.

07:24Maganda yun ah, maganda yun ah.

07:25Na-pressure ka pala.

07:26Na-pressure lang talaga siya.

07:27Kasi pasaran na yung DTI.

07:29Kailangan ko nang ma-fina pangalan.

07:31Shout out sa DTI diyan.

07:33So, may kapangalan daw po na parang alam ko parang turmeric something yun eh.

07:38Yung spice up.

07:39Oo.

07:40So, hindi namin pwedeng gamitin.

07:41And then, kailangan namin lagyan ng kadugtungan

07:45na parang magre-represent na ang ino-offer namin ay pagkain.

07:49So, kaya naging the spice jar food hub.

07:52Yung po talaga yun na-register namin sa DTI.

07:55And then, eventually po, nung ipapa-patent na namin yung name,

08:00naging spice jar restaurant catering and cakes na po siya.

08:05Eh, sabihin nyo nga yung itong nasa likod ninyo.

08:08At I'm sure, sabihin nyo ba ay nasa Los Baños

08:11o yan ba ay nasa Makati?

08:13At nasa...

08:14Ano mga history niyan itong mural na ito?

08:18Actually, itong mural po na ito,

08:22makikita nyo lang po siya sa Los Baños, Laguna.

08:25At ito po ay...

08:26Ito ay original na original.

08:28Original po ito ni Sir Alfredo Galang.

08:31Ito po ang creation niya para sa spice jar.

08:34Conceptualized and painted by the famous Alfredo Galang.

08:40And the late Alfredo Galang.

08:42Kasi namaalam na po ang aming kaibigan.

08:44At colorful na color.

08:46Talaga magandang gawing shirt na e, no?

08:50Yes, actually meron kaming shirt po na ginamit na namin yung mural.

08:54Aba e, maganda pala.

08:55Pwede gawin.

08:56Pero yung spice jar e, palita ko e,

08:58ang logo raw nyan e, din-design ng ano?

09:02Anong nag-design yan?

09:04Ang nag-design talaga ng logo namin nung una pa lang,

09:08e, galing po yan sa ano, creation ko po na parang sa paint lang.

09:13Oo.

09:14So, nag-gawa ako ng ganyan.

09:15And then, siguro may mga studenteng parang nagwa-wonder paano ba ma-improve to.

09:20May naging kaibigan kami na regular customer ng UP.

09:25Galing siya sa UP, a student ng UP.

09:28Naging regular customer friend na rin po.

09:31And then, siya yung nag-offer na aayusin niya yung aming logo.

09:35And then, yun na, dun na nag-start yung ano nung history nung aming logo.

09:41Until yun na po yung aming naipa-patent or na-register.

09:45Siya po nag-create nun.

09:47Isang estudyante na regular customer.

09:49So, would you like to invite the viewers sa Manila Times to visit Spice Jar?

09:56Saan ba located dito?

09:58Ayan.

09:59So, Spice Jar is located in Los Baños along Lopez Avenue.

10:05So, kung pupunta kayo dito, medyo malapit po kami sa UPLB campus.

10:09And, mabilis lang pong mahanap ito sa Waze and Google map.

10:13So, hindi po kayo malilito o maliligaw.

10:16Jaspin po, Spice Jar Restaurant Catering and Cakes.

10:21O nga, ba't kayo na kikatering? Kikatering daw pala kayo?

10:24Yes po. So, more than 10 years na.

10:26So, pwede ba kayo mag-catering? Saan? Saan ba kayo nakikatering?

10:30Actually po, ang catering namin, pwedeng makarating kahit saan.

10:34Nakikater kami, nakapag-cater na po kami sa Tarlac, sa Manila, even Tagaytay.

10:41Pero ngayon po nagko-concentrate kami sa Laguna area lang po muna.

10:45Oo, kasi specialized, no?

10:47Apo.

10:48Okay, so again, to the Spice Jar Power Couple.

10:53Sabi nga natin, ha?

10:54More power and hope to see Spice Jar dotting.

10:58Probably Laguna, Santa Rosa.

11:02Yes.

11:03We're going global.

11:05So, ayan.

11:06Okay.

11:08Thank you very much.

11:09Thank you po.

11:10PIN English.

11:11It's good.

11:12Be sure to go.

11:13See you later, finally j with kiff of California CCTV.

11:18Yeah, that's it, there's so nice this picture.

11:22See you later!

11:23I'm Josh TFE.

11:27And you're off.

11:29I'm Josh TFX.

11:31What is here?

11:32Got caldolrian majority here?

11:35We've got a set of pr compt Ralph Burton.

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