27/01/2023
Thank you DTI Cebu
Lowcal Market
SUCCESS STORY | LowCal Salad + Wraps
Mark Wayne and Chingkay Alix Floro has been partners not only in life but in business as well at their early stage of life. The husband and wife work to reach their goal in encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle - one healthy meal at a time.
The entrepreneurial spirit was always within Mark. At an early age, he would already sell pastillas de leche made by his mother in elementary school.
To support his education in college, he aspired to become a delivery man for a fast food chain but was declined. Instead, he walked into a hotel in Cebu City to personally hand in his application and persistently convinced the manager to hire him regardless of the position.
He started as a bellboy to roomboy until becoming a regular concierge which supported his growing family with Chingkay. He also sold apparel to his workmates while juggling his studies in business management.
But his means were not enough to meet their needs. So he consumed his leave credits as soon as he finished college and acquired training for a cruise ship.
For Mark, it was sink or swim as he went on board in 2004 leaving Chingkay with their kids.
Although it wasn’t plain sailing, he took the position of laundry man as an entry. After two years of washing clothes and sheets, including those of his fellow crewman, he learned the ropes and was promoted as a restaurant manager where he ran a tight ship – strictly, efficiently, and effectively.
Back home, Chingkay handled their family business engaged in food and beverages.
However, it wasn't easy for the wife. In 2006, she was advised by her doctor to go on a diet or suffer a lifetime of medication due to her high cholesterol. Though she was obliged to eat healthy, as a gastronome and culinary arts graduate, she still wanted her food to be mouthwatering and presentable. So, she recreated some healthy recipes and added some twists to them that suited her palate.
Chingkay adapted to this lifestyle raising their family and would also join Mark’s cruise in wandering around the world. She saw firsthand how hardworking and dedicated her husband was.
In 2016, Chingkay started offering counted-calorie meals through her social media account. With good feedback, an overwhelming number of orders and a growing clientele, she decided to take the diet meal delivery businesses to a new level.
Mark dropped his anchor after 13 years of cruising and settled home to support his wife’s plans.
In 2018, they opened their first kiosk and named it LowCal Salad + Wraps. This was then followed by the opening of their first store located at the heart of Cebu City – in the vicinity of Fuente Osmeña Circle, which was perfect for people jogging and exercising around the area.
The brand offers quality and affordable healthy meals with a fast-food kind of service and a hole-in-the-wall for easy pick up for passers-by and food deliveries. This grab-and-go concept was realized with Chingkay’s cooking and food preparation skills and Mark’s expertise in management and supervising.
While the partner would have wanted to feel the growth of a business under better circumstances and not during a pandemic, the chances became an opportunity for LowCal to expand because there was a surge of people wanting to eat healthier in 2020.
They opened LowCal Market as a one-stop destination where customers can shop, dine and chill. It has a bigger space with a cozy, healthy cafe feeling and experience guiltless eating.
They also managed to operate after the onslaught of typhoon Odette in 2021 – all thanks to Chingkay’s preparations and initiatives. She grew up in Eastern Visayas which was usually hit by typhoons, so she stored raw ingredients and ice packs days before which helped them set off the days after.
Mark also joined DTI Cebu’s Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) Online program in 2022 which taught him to look out on their own garden and not on others.
He focused on their supply and value chain management which led them to partnering with local farmers in a mountain barangay in Cebu City and eventually acquiring a lot of their own.
He also strengthened their human resource management and provided training on public health and customer service to their crew.
Today with 9 operating branches, 20 employees and perseverance, Mark and Chingkay aim to continue providing ‘high quality’ products and service for ‘LowCal’ – one counted-calorie meal at a time.
Interested customers may reach them via their page: LowCal Salad + Wraps. For more information on local products and produce proudly made from Cebu, visit DTI Cebu page.
