There’d be challenges but continue doing what you love to do – Ara Roslyn Calleja

Ara Roslyn L. Calleja opened Mama Turing’s Recipe only last June, and only with over PhP1,000.00 as a capital for this business.

But she said it was something that was bound to happen.

“Mama Turing is what my family, relatives and close friends fondly call my mother. Her real name (was) Teodora and she died two years ago. All of the people who came to our house and ate (there) really loved the food she cooked. She was very well-known with her cooking skills and her passion in re-inventing menu that she had just tasted for the first time,” Ara recalled.

One time, when she was looking at her mother’s things, “I saw this very old tickler where she wrote all the recipes that she re-invented, or should I say menus that had her own touch/style. And naisip ko, bakit hindi ko gawing business yung mga specialties niya? Alam kong maraming nakakamiss ng luto niya. So why not continue her legacy? I wanted my mother’s recipes to be remembered forever.”

And so she entered the food industry via Mama Turing’s Recipe.

Ara is glad to be backed by “my family, my husband, who continue to motivate me everyday despite of the challenges that we faced (including the loss of our daughter last March). That really made me stronger and made me who I am right now; I became much closer to God and God helped me to stand up and continue living. And lastly the one who inspires me everyday is my son, a God’s gift, a miracle baby.”

Looking back, Ara always dreamed of opening her own business, having been an employee for 13 years.

“I was a Mass Communication, with a minor in Advertising, graduate,” she said.

And now, “I think having some knowledge about advertising helped me to market my business.”

Of course running a business is challenging.

For instance, there’s her location. “Since bago pa ako sa business, I wanted to reach a wider market. There were times na pag may nagtatanong kung saan ang location ko parang napapaisip sila na mahal pa yung pa-Lalamove nila. So what I’m doing right now is ‘meet up delivery’. Medyo mahirap due to the world’s situation. It’s really scary pero of course at least parang nakakatulong narin ako sa mga customers ko dahil ang food ay basic need lalo na ngayong pandemic.”

And yes, this is a profitable venture.

“I guess lahat naman ng klase ng business is a profitable venture. You just have so work hard and accept downfall sometimes but rise up again. Sabi nga nila try and try until you succeed. If some of the things you do in your business didn’t worked you must have a lot of options for it to work out.”

And for people who may want to also open their business, what tips can Ara give?

“I chose this business because I really love to eat. Sabi nga nila kung pipili ka daw ng papasuking business, yung alam mong mag eenjoy ka at nandun ang passion mo. Hindi rin lahat ng oras o panahon ay sagana. May mga challenges na darating, but you just have to face it, stand up and continue doing what you love to do. And believe that you will be successful someday. All the things you do, you need to offer it to the Lord, dahil kung ano man ang narating mo at nasan ka man sa kinalalagyan mo ngayon, si Lord ang dahilan nun.”

For more information or to order from Mama Turing’s Recipe, head to their FB page.