Terence Neil S. Padrique once lived the dream many Overseas Filipino Workers aspire to—a flourishing career as a licensed physical therapist in the U.S. and his own staffing agency serving medical professionals.
But in 2015, he gave it all up and flew home to Cebu with his young family.
“I got tired of the monotonous life,” Padrique shared. “We lived in some of the coldest states. The income was good, but I wanted something that connected health, purpose, and my roots.”
That hunger gave birth to The Lemon Co., now one of the fastest-growing healthy beverage brands in the Philippines.
What started as a tiny 3-square-meter lemonade stall inside Super Metro at Ayala Center Cebu, making PHP9,000 on its first day in 2016, has become a national brand with 60 branches and another 60 in the pipeline by the end of 2025.
Before The Lemon Co., Padrique tried launching a cold-pressed juice line called Plenish. It didn’t take off. But one product, a PHP60 lemonade bottle, outsold everything else at a health expo.
That single item sparked a new vision. “We knew then we had a product,” he said.
A Leap of Faith
With PHP 1.5 million in savings, just enough to live for three years without income, Padrique returned to the Philippines with his young family.
He launched The Lemon Co., eventually introducing a franchise model in 2017.
Access to capital was difficult. “Banks don’t take chances on young businesses,” Padrique said. But he pressed on, despite another major hurdle: lemon supply. “The Philippines doesn’t produce lemons on a large scale,” he explained.
Initially relying on imports from China, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and California, Padrique soon shifted focus to local farming. Today, The Lemon Co. is working with a 6,000-square-meter farm and local cooperatives in Brgy Lusaran, Cebu to grow its own lemons.
“Growing lemons takes patience—it takes three years for trees to mature,” he said. “But this is a long-term investment—for the business, and for farmers.”
Cucumber, another key ingredient, is now sourced locally as well, with weekly demand reaching 600 kilos. “Our lemon demand has grown to 20 tons per month,” he said. “And it’s still increasing.”
The Lemon Co. is also evolving beyond beverages. Its menu now includes lemon-infused ice cream and light snacks, with plans to deepen customer spending and loyalty.
Looking ahead, Padrique has his eyes on regional expansion, targeting Singapore and Vietnam by 2030. Talks with foreign investors, including one from the U.S., are already underway.
“This is no longer just a beverage business,” he said. “It’s a health movement, a livelihood platform, and a story of coming home.”
From the chill of America to the warmth of Cebu, Padrique’s journey is proof that walking away from success isn’t always the end, it can be the beginning of something even bigger.
BusinessNews.ph