Former OFW turns lemons into a thriving brand

CEBU-BASED healthy beverage chain The Lemon Co. is embarking on its most ambitious expansion yet: opening 60 new branches across the Philippines by the end of 2025, with a bold vision of reaching 1,000 stores across Southeast Asia by 2030.

The plan includes a mix of company-owned and franchised outlets, signaling the brand’s transformation from a homegrown startup into a serious regional player in the health-forward food and beverage sector.

The aggressive growth strategy marks a major turning point for The Lemon Co., which began humbly in 2016 as a three-square-meter stall inside Super Metro at Ayala Center Cebu. It earned just P9,000 on its first day. Today, the company operates 60 branches across Metro Manila, the Visayas and tourist hotspots like Boracay, Panglao and Iloilo — and it’s just getting started.

The thirst that sparked a business

Founder Terence Neil Padrique, a former licensed physical therapist and US-based staffing agency owner, credits the company’s origins to one life-changing decision: leaving behind his American life and returning home to Cebu.

“I got tired of the monotonous life,” Terence said. “We lived in some of the coldest states. The income was good, but there was a hunger in me to do more. I just feel the need to go home and be involved in a business that promotes health.”

In 2015, with his savings and a suitcase full of ideas, Terence, along with his wife and children, sold their house and car in the US and flew back to Cebu.

“There was a strong feeling inside of me that I needed to try this,” he said.

His first venture into healthy beverages — a cold-pressed juice brand called Plenish — struggled to gain traction, as it was distributed solely in gyms. But one product, a single bottle of lemonade priced at P60 and introduced at a local health expo, along with the cold-pressed juice, changed everything.

“We knew then we had a product,” he said.

A hyperacidity sufferer himself, Terence saw lemonade not just as refreshing, but as functional.

“It is always a refreshing drink,” he said, recalling how in the US, “people would line up for hours just to sip lemonade.”

Rooted in wellness and community

With P1.5 million from his savings — enough, he estimated, to survive three years without income — Terence founded The Lemon Co., a brand deeply rooted in wellness, Filipino entrepreneurship and community empowerment.

But like many startups, his journey wasn’t easy.

“Banks don’t take chances on young businesses,” Terence recalled, pointing to his initial struggles with financing.

Supply chain issues also loomed large. The Philippines does not produce lemons at scale, so the company had to rely on imported fruit from countries like China, Argentina, Brazil and the US. But that, too, is changing.

“We are now in talks with farmer groups and co-ops for contract growing partnerships,” he said. While lemon farming in the Philippines is possible, he explained, local lemons have thick rinds and take about three years to mature. “Growing lemons takes patience,” Terence said. “But this is a long-term investment — for the business and for farmers.”

The Lemon Co. uses roughly 20,000 tons of lemons per month. It has also begun sourcing locally available ingredients, such as 600 kilos of cucumbers weekly from Cebu farmers.

Creating opportunities for others

To accelerate growth and create opportunities for others, Terence introduced franchising in 2017. This move not only helped expand the brand’s footprint but also empowered aspiring entrepreneurs across the country.

Reinvesting most of the company’s profits back into operations, Terence is now preparing to expand The Lemon Co. beyond healthy beverages. Soon, the brand will introduce quick bites, soft-serve ice creams and other wellness-oriented products.

And the vision doesn’t stop at the Philippine shoreline.

The company has identified Singapore and Vietnam as entry points for its Southeast Asia expansion, as part of its 2030 roadmap.

“This is no longer just a beverage business,” Terence said. “It’s a health movement and a livelihood platform.”

From its modest beginnings in a Cebu mall to becoming a platform for community-based agriculture and franchising, The Lemon Co. is proving that purpose-driven growth can be both sustainable and scalable.

“Some people think going abroad is the only way to succeed,” Terence reflected. “But I found my purpose coming home.” / KOC