Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaira Duque.
Hi Jaira, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello everyone! My name is Jaira, one of the owners of Ube Co. HTX. Born and raised in the Philippines and migrated to the United States 7 yrs. ago. Same goes w/Lawrence who is my boyfriend and my partner in this business. We both have lived in Houston since then. We love to cook, travel and do outdoor activities with our two lovely dogs.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Our journey was not an easy and smooth road at all. Imagine the galleria area freeway but with 10 constructions going on plus 500 trucks driving with you. And don’t forget the pouring rain. That’s how our road felt. (Lol). It’s only the two of us operating the business and the fact that we are two different people with different opinions and personalities makes it more challenging. Making the right taste, design, schedule, and life/work balance are certainly our obstacles. But at the end of the day, we were to make work and reach our final destination amidst the challenging journey.
To give you a back story, our lives before Ube Co. HTX were just typical and simple, we love to eat and cook. Our habits turn out to be our bonding moments at the same time. I remember when we first started, Lawrence thought of reinventing one of my favorite Filipino desserts made of Ube Halaya. As someone who has been baking since I was a teenager and a dessert enthusiast, I lit up upon trying his version of it. It’s the same taste that I was craving for a long time! The nostalgic feeling was intense. On joyful occasions, we shared the taste with our family and friends. They love the flavor, texture, and creativity of our invention, which gave us the niche to open the small business.
As the pandemic’s effects became rampant, we had to pivot to survive, be creative, unique, and think outside the box. Our passion became a career opportunity to support us financially. We were adamant at first, but because of our family and friends who believed in us, it brought out the best in us. Lawrence and I were encouraged to reflect on how to make the business more profitable out of the Ube Halaya; we developed another product called “Ube Tart” that built a tremendous impact in our business. The inspiration and dedication lead us to make more varieties of “Ube” products. Eventually, we joined Pop-Ups and other marketing events to expose and further progress our products.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have worked for a non-profit organization for 4 years now and this is my full time day job. We go out to the community to help underserved low income families immigrants or non immigrants. I specialize in helping Youth to prepare them for employment.
Ever since I have had the compassion to help others, the Humanitarian type of work is always my interest.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Individually, I (Jai) can finish reading a whole book in one sitting. My friends used to give me books to read for school projects and would ask me to write an essay out of it in exchange for lunch or a bottle of wine. (lol) As for my partner Lawrence, he is a tough cookie but is scared of dogs. The only dog he is not scared of is our two fur babies.
Together, we both love the outdoors. Whenever we are stressed or need a little break, we seek out nature to recharge.
Contact Info:
- Email: Ubecohtx@gmail.com
- Website: http://www.ubecohtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubecohtx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ubecohtx
Image Credits
Kyzproduction
