WHENTHE‘MARKET’ IS THE SCHOOL
All that Jasper Munji had known throughout his professional life was that he had a ladder to climb.
This 39-year-old general manager was once a brighteyed graduate who got accepted into a large company, worked his way up the commodities trading division, and is now an executive with a startup group. All was well until the pandemic broke out. He was suddenly filled with apprehension about how he would survive. His wife was in the airline industry, which did not assure long-term security for their family of five.
In Munji’s search of new, more reliable sources of income, he decided to break the professional glass ceiling.
New venture
Owning a restaurant was something he and his wife had always dreamed of, but the pre-pandemic life did not provide enough time. In times that called for preternatural measures, Munji finally got into the food service business.
He invested part of their family savings in a franchise for a Korean barbecue brand and sold frozen meat products online. At first, their clientele comprised of friends, family and tenants in nearby residential properties. It was an exciting start, but Munji did not venture into this business for excitement. He needed returns and so he looked for opportunities for face-to-face setups.
One option was to sell in his community at the Princeton Residences in New Manila. When Munji requested for a clearance to sell, what he got instead was an invitation to join The Good Guys Market, a weekend bazaar set up by SM Development Corp. (SMDC).
Munji expected to pay an entrance fee upfront. He was told that not only does the program welcome residents for free—it actually helps vendors, especially new ones like him, to set up shop at the bazaar. On his first day at The Good Guys Market, which marked the official start of a new chapter in his life as a bonafide, customer-facing entrepreneur, Munji felt like a student all over again.
First-day jitters
In fact, Munji woke up that morning with the excitement and anxiety of a school boy preparing for his first day of classes. To a certain extent, he was a student about to enter a new school.
“We set up very early that day,” Munji recalled. “I caught a cold three days before the opening so we weren’t prepared. There were no tarps, no uniform. All we had was an icebox and a table.”
Along with the simple setup was the distinction of being the only meat seller in a bazaar that sold mostly greens, as The Good Guys Market was established to connect displaced farmers with consumers. Soon enough, Munji’s stall caught the attention of a well-loved resident that the Princeton community fondly calls “lola.” As it turned out, lola had no clue about Munji’s frozen Korean goods, or samgyupsal.
Lola made the purchase and has been a regular customer since. She also proved to be a lucky charm as Munji sold out the day’s stock. He believes the solid turnout reflected the strong sense of community at Princeton.
Star student
Munji has since grown as a businessman since joining the program. Apart from providing a marketplace for its residents, SMDC has been conducting an entrepreneurship webinar series to help prepare residents for their business startups, from getting business permits all the way to product development and marketing.
Munji has attended all of SMDC’S entrepreneurship webinars. He expanded his operations outside Princeton and now joins The Good Guys Market in other SMDC properties, like Mezza in Quezon City, Breeze in Manila, and Shell Residences in Mall of Asia complex.
Having to face clients taught him good marketing. From simply having cutout stickers plastered on coolers and icebox, he now engages with his customers online with creative marketing materials.
“We learned through The Good Guys Market that business is not just about the quality of products you’re selling. It’s also about how you market your brand to make it more appealing to different types of clients,” he said.
Munji also discovered the importance of listening to client feedback. His samgyupsal continues to be a top-seller.
But Korean barbecue is largely viewed as weekend food— customers were asking for meals for everyday consumption.
While looking for ways to meet the demand, Munji came across a chef who was laid off from work. He asked the chef to create samples of products. He tasted the products and decided to try a new concept.
Second business
This led to the birth of Mr. Chef. The brand offers readyto-eat meals—from Bicol Express to Queso de Bola Caldereta, Japanese Curry and the bestselling Roastbeef Lengua. Munji and his partner introduced 10 microwaveable tubs at The Good Guys Market.
Today, with clients beginning to buy in bulk for a week’s worth of food, they are targeting as much as 80 tubs per outing. Such is the success of Munji’s samgyupsal franchise and his own ready-to-eat concept that he has struck partnerships with food delivery services and an e-commerce site to reach even more customers.
“SMDC has helped us find a way to survive this pandemic,” Munji said. “Moving forward, we hope to open a store. We really have to prevail and level up in the new normal.”