For Myka Perlas, her love for healthy food led to her encouraging her loved ones to eat more greens. This eventually fueled her passion to start her own business, Salad and Wraps. With her personal advocacy to get Ilonggos to start adopting healthier diets, reaching out to more people was her top priority - and what better way of reaching more people than by being present in the Food Hall of the biggest mall in Iloilo?
Through SM, Myka was able to reach people beyond her social circle. “SM City Iloilo is the biggest mall in Iloilo. All walks of life have this mall in common. That being said, this brings with it great brand exposure and foot traffic”, she shared. Since then, she’s noticed a positive trend in people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. “In terms of the community, it is safe to say that a lot of people are slowly welcoming a healthier path. Old faces still come up to us this year, and seeing a lot of new faces (with masks of course) means new people want to eat healthier everyday”, says Myka.
In order to adjust to the new normal, Salads and Wraps had to partner with delivery companies since some customers were hesitant to visit the mall. “The reduced rent extended by SM was a big help to sustain the business, not only financially, but it also gave a positive outlook with all the people helping to get through the pandemic”, she shared. “ It's best to plan ahead and to allocate a portion of your profit for emergency situations such as this pandemic. You can never go wrong by having savings.”
