For many Filipinos, this all-natural mild homemade spiced vinegar offers a taste of home no matter where they are in the world. But thanks to the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this family-owned startup now exports Sinamak to the world.

During the Daily Tribune's morning show, Gising Na! on Tuesday, 182 Casa Lontoc creative entrepreneur Juan Carlos Lontoc explained how he and his wife started their business.

"It has grown from a backyard hobby into a thriving small business, which all began with a Facebook post," Lontoc said in vernacular. Later on, the couple was astonished to see how many of their friends (and even strangers) wanted to place an order.

They later expanded their line of products and sold their sweet and spicy cane vinegar to the market. Now, they are selling their products in S&R, SM and UniMart.

Lontoc added that they also export coconut wine (tuba) and Ilocano vinegar to other countries.

"We are exclusively selling chili garlic," he added. He added that it's still unavailable in the supermarket and the resellers. Lontoc said they're selling chili garlic since it's all natural and has no preservatives.
According to Lontoc, they plan to expand their product line further by producing other sauces, too. But Lontoc said the only problem is that getting FDA approval for the product is expensive and time-consuming.

Entrepreneur shares lessons

Meanwhile, Lontoc revealed what they learned from the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic a few years ago and how it shaped their company's growth trajectory.

"We were really worried about our employees because they could get sick. So what we did was rent a unit. So they all stayed in to be safe," Lontoc said.

He added that's the only preparation that they could do during the lockdown.

Lontoc also realized they had to avoid overstocking their items to avoid extra costs. Hence, he urged other aspiring entrepreneurs to focus on innovating one product first before adding other items.

"You're left with costly excess inventory if you overstock," he explained, adding that the effects of stocking too many items on your productivity and profitability are expensive.

182 Casa Lontoc will be joining the upcoming Tindahan ni Tarsee Bazaar in Ayala Malls Manila Bay from 25 to 27 November 2022, a project that Daily Tribune conceptualized to help micro, small and medium enterprises in showcasing their products.