SOME budding entrepreneurs may have decided to postpone getting into business due to economic uncertainty, but this wasn’t the case for Roselynn Nerbia, who recently opened her franchise of Sumuji, a Japan-inspired smoothies and desserts stop in SM City Cebu.
Nerbia said she took advantage of the growing healthy lifestyle of consumers these days to bring Sumuji to Cebu.
“At the height of the pandemic we all realized how important health is. Everyone is taking care of their body and what they take inside,” she said.
Sumuji highlights drinks that have chia and other healthy frozen fruits in them which are good sources of proteins, minerals and vitamins. It also sells pureed drinks, and sandwiches in ube, avocado and strawberry flavors.
Nebria was supposed to launch Sumuji in Cebu in 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic the opening was temporarily halted. Hence, the expansion was concentrated in Manila, and it was only in June this year that the brand entered Cebu.
Nebria isn’t new to business, but this is the first time she is dipping her hands in the food industry.
She is optimistic this venture will perform well because of its “healthy” offering to consumers.
“People are yielding now to healthy alternatives, especially after getting locked in homes for more than a year,” she said.
Sumuji was established in the Philippines in 2019. It now has 20 mall branches spread across Luzon. Sumuji in SM City Cebu is the first branch in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Nerbia said she has big plans for this business. She said if God would allow it, she would expand Sumuji to have a dining area where people can stay and enjoy their favorite Sumuji products.
“In business, you really have to take risks because you will never know if you will prosper or not if you won’t try,” she said. (KOC)