An OFW’s leap of faith: Giving up the American dream for the entrepreneurial passion

CEBU, Philippines — After 12 years of living the American dream as a licensed physical therapist and staffing agency owner in the United States, Terence Neil S. Padrique did what many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) only dared to imagine: he walked away from it all.

“I got tired of the monotonous life,” Padrique said. “We lived in some of the coldest states. The income was good, but there was a hunger in me to do more—something that connected health, purpose, and my roots.”

That hunger gave birth to The Lemon Co., now one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing healthy beverage chains, with a national footprint and ambitions to expand across Southeast Asia by 2030.

What began as a modest three-square-meter stall inside Super Metro at Ayala Center Cebu in 2016—earning just P9,000 on its first day—has since evolved into a 60-branch network comprising both company-owned stores and franchises.

The brand has gained a strong presence in the Visayas, Metro Manila, and tourist hubs like Bohol, Dumaguete, Pagadian, Boracay, Iloilo, and Panglao, with a Davao branch slated to open in September. Another 60 locations are in the pipeline by the end of 2025.

Together with his co-founder and late wife Pearl Tarona Padrique, and under the guidance of international franchise consultancy, Padrique launched The Lemon Co.’s franchise model in 2017, offering a turn-key investment package starting at P465,000.

Since then, The Lemon Co. has attracted a loyal following from health-conscious consumers across the upper and middle-income market segments, leveraging its clean branding, refreshing offerings, and mall-based footprint.

Before The Lemon Co., Padrique attempted a cold-pressed juice venture called Plenish, which targeted gym-goers. The concept struggled to gain traction. However, at a Robinsons Galleria health expo, he added a P60 lemonade bottle to the lineup—an experiment that quickly became the star. “We knew then we had a product,” he said.

Suffering from hyperacidity himself, and long fond of lemonade as a functional beverage, Padrique leaned into the lemon as a core ingredient.

In 2015, he sold off his U.S. properties, uprooted his young family, and returned to Cebu with P1.5 million in capital—enough savings to live without income for three years—as he took the entrepreneurial leap.

Squeezing Supply from a Lemon-Less Land

Access to financing proved difficult early on.

“Banks don’t take chances on young businesses,” Padrique noted.

Supply was another challenge. With the Philippines lacking large-scale domestic lemon production, The Lemon Co. initially relied on imported fruit from China, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and California.

Now, that is starting to change. In a bid to build what Padrique describes as a “symbiotic economy,” the company has partnered with local farmers and cooperatives. In Barangay Lusaran, Cebu City, The Lemon Co. collaborates with a 6,000-square-meter farm, a cooperative, and an agrarian reform group to cultivate lemons locally.

“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 at 600 kilos per week. The Lemon Co.'s demand for lemons has surged to 20 tons per month—and continues to grow.

Moving Beyond Beverages

The Lemon Co. has also entered the second phase of its growth strategy: food. The brand now offers lemon-infused ice cream, quick bites, and other complementary products aimed at increasing customer spend and deepening its market footprint.

Padrique’s sights are set beyond Philippine shores. The company is laying the groundwork for regional expansion, with Singapore and Vietnam as target markets by 2030. Talks with foreign investors are underway, including a U.S.-based investor who reached out directly.

“This is no longer just a beverage business,” he said. “It’s a health movement, a livelihood platform, and a story of coming home.”

What began with a thought—and a thirst—has become a brand emblematic of a deeper entrepreneurial spirit: one where profit meets purpose, and where leaving the American dream wasn’t a retreat, but a bold step forward. — (FREEMAN)