Cupcakes by Sonja entices you with its moist cupcakes decorated with colorful and fun designs. This was the dream of Sonja Ocampo when she started her cupcake business fresh from completing her culinary education in New York. “At that time, there wasn’t any cupcake store in the Philippines,” recalls Sonja. “I wanted to offer individualized cupcakes with different flavors.”
True to her adventurous and creative spirit, Sonja introduced the red velvet flavor to the Filipino market. “People were not familiar with red velvet,” Sonja shares. “Now, it is our number one selling flavor.” She also teamed up with local chocolate makers like Auro and Malagos, introducing the Reversed Salted Caramel Cupcake and Sonja’s Swirl Auro Chocolate cookies.
Like in the case of other businesses, Covid-19 forced Sonja and her team to think out of the box. They expanded their online ordering system and converted her store sales team to focus online. “There are so many opportunities to learn. My team quickly learned skills that they originally did not sign up for,” explains Sonja.
Throughout the adjustments, Sonja also witnessed the evolution of her partnership with SM. “We were lucky because our store in Megamall not only continued to serve our customers, it also helped us cope with challenges in logistics with our store in Megamall serving also as our distribution hub for the northern part of the city,” she expounds.
While Covid-19 shook many MSMEs like hers, Sonja focuses on the silver lining and lessons learned. “As a leader, you have to make sure that the communication line is there. As we are transitioning, our employees are transitioning too and trying to adapt,” expresses Sonja. “For us, I really had to make them feel that we are there for them.”
To know more about Cupcakes by Sonja and to order online, visit their Facebook page @CupcakesBySonjaOfficial and follow their Instagram account @cupcakesbysonja.
