A café built on love

As I listened to Jam Padilla recount her sweet and flavorful stories, what emerged was a love story between mother and daughter.

“I was in a corporate job for four years. But I always knew I wasn’t meant to be in an 8-to-5; I did it just to be able to say that I did try,” Padilla said. “It was a good four years, but I felt that I was missing a lot of opportunities by being confined in the office for nine hours a day. I also sang and did stage performances back then, so I thought it was ridiculous that I would miss VTRs and auditions doing office work that didn’t spark joy anyway.”

A corporate “outsider” of sorts, the singer and entrepreneur began her professional journey knowing she was meant for something more creative — something closer to the heart. That realization eventually led her back home, to the baking business she had started with her mom, Jena Legislador Padilla, who passed away in 2022. What began as a small venture in 2012 would later grow into Sweet Mamita, a café built on love, memory and legacy.

The bake-loving duo

“My mom was growing her small home baking business then (2012), which I saw a lot of potential in it, so I quit my job and offered to grow it with her,” Jam shared. “She was so grateful, and our partnership was very fruitful for many years.”

The business initially focused on customized cakes. Both mother and daughter were artsy and creative, and together they built a sweet, passion-filled venture. For eight years, they baked and experimented — until illness interrupted their journey.

During her quiet moments, Jam recalled those early days with her mom, experimenting and growing together.

“A lot of business owners, of course, want to please their customers, but there are times that you also have to respect and protect yourself and your business and set boundaries for things that you are willing to do and other stuff you are not willing to adjust to.”

When asked about their work dynamics, Jam shared that she handled both marketing and some baking.

“I handled pricing, inquiries, some baking, product development and fondant work,” Jam said.

Hands-on in the kitchen

“She did a lot of baking, too, mostly the laying of groundwork for customized cakes before decorating,” Jam said, adding that her mom focused on the classic recipes while she worked on the “more trendy contemporary ones,” she said.

“It was really fun and so fulfilling especially that she was so grateful for my help,” Jam said. “She was always so proud of my work. We truly bonded and connected over baking together and coming with new items together.”

Jam is not an only child — she has three older siblings. While Sweet Mamita was primarily run by Jam and her mom, her siblings pitched in how ever they could — from promoting the business to friends, acting as “lab rats” for research and development, and even forming boxes for packaging.

When it mattered, Jam’s family was always supportive.

Sweet beginning

“This year, our 2026 sales have been relatively good,” Jam shared. “This is the first January since we renovated to increase our seating capacity. Expenses are through the roof though, what with LGU (local government and unit) and BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) compliances. Nevertheless, grateful for a strong start to 2026.”

“I’ve always envisioned a place where guests can feel at home or can feel like they’re eating food especially made for them by a loved one,” Jam continued. “We started as a two-person team working at home. Now I have a brick-and-mortar with more employees.”

Among the favorites in the café are the Calamansi Cake, developed with her mom; and Jena’s Carrot Walnut Cake — her mom’s recipe and personal favorite, which Jam named after her. There is also the Butterscotch Cake, another of her mom’s recipes, inspired by her Ilongga roots.

Jam looks ahead to the year with hope that it will bring her closer to a life’s goal: To establish finally a thriving business that she and her mom had always dreamed of.

In search of yummy treats in the south? Visit Sweet Mamita Bakehouse and Café at 228 Aguirre Avenue, Parañaque.