Long before JGO Mart became a rising name in convenience retail, it was just a simple dream, deeply rooted in family, perseverance and the mission to uplift Filipinos from all walks of life.
JGO Mart Corp. CEO Jose Miguel Garcia said the business started as a manning agency from which started the philosophy to put the interest of people in and out of the company first.
Photograph by Larry Cruz for the daily tribune
In a country dominated by retail giants, a homegrown convenience store is proving that success is not just about selling products and earning a profit, it’s about paying attention to people which was how JGO Mart Corp. CEO Jose Miguel Garcia was trained by his father, a successful entrepreneur.
JGO Mart, a 100 percent Filipino-owned brand, had redefined the grab-and-go experience with a deep commitment to uplifting local businesses, preserving Filipino flavors and creating opportunities for everyday people.
Long before JGO Mart became a rising name in convenience retail, it was just a simple dream, deeply rooted in family, perseverance and the mission to uplift Filipinos from all walks of life.
JGO Mart’s story doesn’t begin with retail shelves but rather in an industry dedicated to people.
“To give you a backstory behind JGO, we started as a manpower agency,” Garcia shared. “My father built this agency in the ’90s, supplying labor forces to manufacturing and retail industries. It’s been running for 30 years now, and that was where I had my first job.”
Garcia’s father instilled in him and his brothers the value of putting people’s interests first. Even the company’s logo tells a story — its wing design represents the four Garcia brothers, with one white line symbolizing their youngest sibling, their guiding angel. This philosophy of people-centric leadership became the foundation of JGO Mart.
JGO Mart itself was born out of a desire to give back.
“We wanted to create a program where our deployed employees could have access to a ‘buy now, pay later’ system,” Garcia explained. “It wasn’t just about business; it was about supporting people who work hard every day.”
The vision of the Garcias might be trite but in a convenience store landscape ruled by industry titans, JGO Mart stood out. “We are in a space where there are giants,” Garcia admitted. “They have a huge hold on the market. But we weren’t looking to compete head-on. We wanted to carve out our path — one that focuses on Filipinos.”
JGO Mart took a different approach. “We wanted to take our piece of the pie and grow it — not just for us, but for local Filipino suppliers,” Garcia emphasized.
“Aside from our food, we stock products from small and medium enterprises. We’ve become a platform where young Filipino businesses can thrive.”
JGO Mart’s entry into the industry wasn’t an impulsive leap but a strategic move backed by years of experience.
Before launching their brand, Garcia’s family took out a franchise for a well-known convenience store with the chief purpose of learning the business inside out. “We had to understand the ins and outs first,” Garcia recalled. “My mom was heavily involved in franchising, from convenience stores to gas stations. We learned from the best before jumping in.”
However, it was the pandemic that set the stage for JGO Mart’s transformation. “We had the logistics, the warehousing, the infrastructure. When the coronavirus disease hit, we realized we could do more,” Garcia said.
Before JGO Mart, there was JGO Delivery, a logistics venture he spearheaded to help displaced workers earn during the crisis. “It started as a delivery platform, but as the competition grew, we pivoted to trucking and logistics. That evolution eventually led us to launch our first JGO Mart store in 2021.”
And it wasn’t a handout. “Our first branch was in Sucat, in a building we own. But even then, my dad made me rent it. ‘You want that space? Work for it,’ he told me.”
JGO Mart has expanded to 12 branches, including locations in PITX, One Ayala, Market Market, Tutuban and Southwoods. But what truly sets it apart isn’t just its expansion — it’s its commitment to people.
“The question we always get is, ‘What makes you different?’” Garcia said. “For us, it’s simple. We champion Filipino flavors — we call them ‘flavorites’ — and we support the young entrepreneurs of the Philippines. This is bigger than just selling products; it’s about giving others the chance to succeed.”
The influence of family and Filipino culture is evident in JGO Mart’s menu. “A lot of what we serve comes from personal experience,” Garcia shared. “My parents always tell stories about what they ate when they were building their careers, and that inspires what we put on our menu.”
JGO Mart’s innovations include Filipino-inspired soft-serve ice cream — think ube and cheese flavors — and onigiri with local twists, such as sisig and adobo fillings. “We infuse our heritage into everything we do,” Garcia said. “It’s about making people feel at home.”
JGO Mart isn’t just expanding but evolving to make business ownership more accessible. “We’re developing an express model — smaller stalls featuring only the best-selling items,” Garcia shared. “We want young entrepreneurs with limited capital to have a chance to own a piece of JGO.”
Franchising is also in the works, but Garcia insists on doing it with integrity. “We don’t expand just for the sake of expansion. We started by offering franchises to family and friends to prove our concept. At the forefront of our growth is ensuring we take care of our people and our partners.”
“That’s the grander vision,” Garcia said. “We want Filipinos abroad to feel a sense of home when they step into a JGO Mart. And beyond that, we want to create opportunities for overseas Filipino workers to invest in their businesses.”
Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, and Garcia is the first to acknowledge that.
“If you’re not willing to fail, you’re not willing to grow,” he said. “Success takes time, perseverance, and sleepless nights. You have to embrace challenges and learn to pivot when things don’t go as planned.”
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Keep going. Don’t just do it for yourself — do it for the people around you. If you truly believe in something, JGO for it.”
JGO Mart isn’t just a convenience store — it’s a movement.
One that believes in uplifting Filipinos and supporting small businesses.
