Jake Deleon grew up helping his mom and grandmother make Filipino food. Those memories eventually became the foundation for Fila Manila, a brand bringing flavors like adobo, kare-kare, banana ketchup, and ube spread to grocery shelves across the country.
We spoke with Jake about building the company with family and tradition at its core, representing Filipino food on Shark Tank, and what it means to introduce more people to the food he grew up eating.
Let’s jump in:
K-Snax: You grew up helping your mom and grandmother make Filipino dishes. What has it been like sharing Fila Manila’s growth and milestones with your family?
Jake: I’ve hit the life lottery by having a loving and supporting family that knows how to cook and enjoy delicious food. Some of my happiest moments in building Fila Manila have been celebrating the wins with my family such as my appearance on Shark Tank. Starting a business is tough but it’s these moments that add joy and gratitude in the journey.
K-Snax: What has it felt like to walk into a major grocery store and see Filipino food on the shelf, knowing how little representation there was when you were growing up?
Jake: Adding representation to Filipino cuisine and culture has been our mission since day 1. Seeing that representation on grocery shelves and having folks enjoy their first introduction to our delicious flavors brings joy and excitement to my team and I.
K-Snax: How has building Fila Manila changed your own relationship with being Filipino American?
Jake: Building the brand has brought me closer to the Filipino American community through our social media content. We love hearing product feedback and encouragement from the community when we share our journey through videos and posts.
K-Snax: Fila Manila has discussed developing new banana ketchup variants. How do you decide whether a new product should stay close to tradition or reinterpret a Filipino flavor for a new audience?
All our products are rooted in tradition and family with recipes inspired by my own parents delicious home cooking! Rather than reinterpret the iconic dishes of the Philippines we honor the recipes with whole food ingredients and purposely exclude artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives… just like home cooked meals!
K-Snax: Many customers are experiencing Filipino food for the first time through Fila Manila. What’s it like knowing that your products may shape their first impression of the culture?
Jake: Humbling and exciting! Our airing on Shark Tank enabled thousands of online orders, many of which were households trying Filipino Food for the first time. My team and I are encouraged and psyched whenever we hear back from those first time customers who love the food and share the hype with their social circles.
K-Snax: What was it like representing Filipino food on Shark Tank, and is there anything about that experience that viewers did not get to see?
Jake: It was a surreal and emotional experience as I’ve been a huge fan of the show and knowing the audience was millions of households. The actual shoot took almost an hour as it included tense negotiations but the viewer ultimately saw about a 1/4 of that experience. The best part was watching the Sharks try our products and absolutely loving it!
K-Snax: What has been the most emotionally difficult part of building Fila Manila that people on the outside probably never see?
Jake: As with any entrepreneurial journey, starting a business is incredibly taxing emotionally, physically, and financially which demands a lot of sacrifice. While people on the outside don’t see that side it is important as founders to have a support system and community that helps us during these tough periods.
K-Snax: When Filipino American children see banana ketchup, adobo sauce, or ube spread in a major grocery store, what do you hope it communicates to them about their culture?
Jake: My hope is that seeing their cuisine in mainstream inspires them to showcase and be proud of their community and culture and may even spark the next generation of Filipino food entrepreneurs!
K-Snax: Since we’re K-Snax, we have to ask: what are your favorite Asian snacks?
Jake: Too many to name but one of my favorite childhood snacks were sweet and spicy dried cuttlefish. Controversial for sure because of their ‘aroma’ but I loved the texture and flavors!
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