GMA7’S ‘Mel and Joey “show may be no more but Toronto’s
MEL and FLOR are a continuing success story of grit and
determination, an inspirational odyssey of a couple who swayed
from the dance floor to the baking oven and to a budding food
empire that is now known as FV Foods.
A decade ago, Melchor Galeon brought with him goodies from
his hometown of Sariaya, Quezon, a seaside first class
municipality
some 124 kilometers south of Manila.
The town is famous for its delicacies such as broas, pinagong,
tamales, pianono and jacobina among others.
The sweets that Mel brought to the Canadian National Exhibition
(CNE) in Toronto, unknown to him would later serve as the key to
his new found success.
A graduate of Nursing from the Philippines, Mel is also a good
dancer and it was his stint as a DI (dance instructor) that he would
be introduced to Flor Vendiola, a community leader and medical
technologist by Linda Javier, now the president of the Filipino
Center of Toronto (FCT) .
Coincidentally, Flor also come from the same Quezon town
as Mel. What more, She served as the president of the Sariaya
association of Toronto in those years.
On the other hand, Mel came to Toronto fresh from his success
of a thriving “Galeon Pasalubong “business in Sariaya where he is
pitted against more established waysides “pasalubongs “ stores like
Mazapan, or Villamater’s. This meant that Mel came to Toronto
armed with a baking pedigree.
As Flor recalls during an interview at FV Foods Christmas party,
It was Mel who started a small business at the garage of Flor’s
residence in Scarborough initially producing “Yema “a popular
Filipino delicacy made of milk. Later on, Flor’s two sisters would
lend their hand and eventually becoming their official employees.
“Naglalako kami sa mga organizations “ (we used to sell the
products to organizations and associations )said Flor.
While Mel handled the production side, Flor provided the
marketing and business side of things.
From that $500 capital, they officially named their business FV
Foods.
Their eventual rise as a bakery cum food establishment came at
a time in the early 2000 when a mercurial Swiss-trained Filipino
baker was lording it over the Filipino community but by strange
turn of events, his booming business came crashing down.
This baker had boasted before this writer that he can beat and put
out of business all of his Filipino competitors . At one time, he
even belittled a popular Scarborough-based “ pan de sal “ maker
saying he can make the best pan de sal around town.
He ate his words. He is now out of business.
Mel and Flor’s perseverance finally paid off and in a matter of
several years, they put up a number of branches in Mississauga,
Steeles Avenue/North York, and St.Clair.
From two employees, they now have at least 100 more.
What really is noticeable about FV Foods rise to prominence and
acceptance to the community was their style of management.
They have, as one would noticed, remained humble and feet firmly
stuck to the ground.
Flor described their company as a “ passion to help kababayans .
True enough, FV Foods and other Filipino establishments
with similar stories and experiences like them could serve as
inspirations to other kababayans to try their luck, start from small
and perhaps find their niche in the Canadian business milieu.