HER POWER: Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo's recipe for building a food empire
Women have traditionally been relegated to the home kitchen. However, over the past few decades, they have become a driving force in the Philippine F&B industry. One such leader is Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo, president and CEO of the Wildflour Hospitality Group.
From a single Wildflour Café + Bakery branch in Bonifacio Global City in 2012, the Group has grown to include popular brands such as Wildflour Italian, Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain, George and Onnie’s, Pizza Sisters, Pink’s Hotdogs, Kei Makati, and most recently, Osteria Antica.
Hands-on learning
De Ocampo was born into the food business, with her family running the patis factory that manufactures Lorin’s Patis. “I would bottle the patis caps with my bare hands at a young age and get paid for that,” she said proudly.
Her love for baked goods started with summers spent at her grandmother’s bakery in the province, where she became enamored with the smell of freshly baked bread. “I think that's what really exposed me to food, and eventually I went to school and took up hotel and restaurant administration and then moved on to culinary arts,” she explained.
She and her siblings even started a food business out of college, a small kiosk called Barbecue Hut, which she credits for her present business acumen. “Our dad financed it, and I learned a lot from this—because it was a failure. I thought it was the best. It had the best location, I thought we had the best product, I thought it had a lot of foot traffic, but in the end it was a failure. However, our father instilled in us the philosophy that we must learn from our failures, and I think this is what kind of helped me make decisions later on in the business that I've built.”
She added that she was also inspired by the strong women in my family. “My mom and my grandmothers on both sides of the family were all entrepreneurs, they were also businesswomen. That is what inspired me to set up Wildflour.”
Keeping it people-centric
As for the restaurant empire’s success secret, de Ocampo said it’s the people. “They are the ones who fuel the expansion and the operations of the business, and they put in the hard work to be able to do this. This includes our external partners: our stakeholders, landlords, suppliers, and our contractors. All of them go hand in hand with us growing the business.”
They also ensure that customer satisfaction is at their core. “We have several concepts, and we keep it consistent, I think across all branches, regardless of whatever concept. We really don't cut corners, we don't scrimp on ingredients; we use the best ingredients. We also invest in making sure that the ambiance is nice. We invest in a lot of really good equipment, and I think all of these coming together will really spell success for the company.”
I don't let societal conventions or business stop me from doing anything or hold me back. And I think I'm a very persevering and ambitious person, and I try to move forward.
Baking bread, breaking biases
“When I was starting, I never really had to experience any negative biases just because I was a woman, but I think early on when I started, when I was applying for spaces in some malls, I faced rejection after rejection. I think it's probably a function of my being a woman who wasn't really established in business yet. So that's probably it, but other than that, thankfully, I never had to experience any,” Se Ocampo admitted.
When you are a woman business leader, there may be more to prove, but she said you need to take it in stride. “I think it's important that you trust your instincts, and you trust your intuition, and you'd be surprised as to what you can accomplish. People are probably going to tell you that you can't do it, you can't make it, but you just have to prove to yourself that you can, and things will follow. You just have to know yourself, you just have to know why you're doing it and who you're doing it for, and I think everything will just fall into place.”
As a mom, de Ocampo has more things on her plate but makes sure that she has time for her family, and they, in turn, support her in her goals. She starts her day with a prayer together with her husband, and she checks on her children throughout the day. “Traditionally, women are seen as homemakers, we're seen as caregivers, but if let's say you want to put up a business, you also have to put up ample time and effort into the business so, there's a kind of societal pressure that expects a woman to be able to balance these things. Thankfully, my family's really understanding with my career. They're very supportive, they help whenever they can, and I think that's very important.”
She added, “I don't let societal conventions or business stop me from doing anything or hold me back. And I think I'm a very persevering and ambitious person, and I try to move forward. Even if there's adversity or challenges, I try to move forward, so I think that's probably one of the leadership traits I possess.”
De Ocampo is very vocal about championing women in any industry. “I try to participate in talks, or maybe speeches, and conferences, I try to have mentoring sessions in some forums, especially those that highlight women entrepreneurs, and hopefully I can in a way inspire budding young women or girls to pursue their passions and eventually probably in the future put up their own businesses or hopefully a restaurant.”
Her dedication to excellence and entrepreneurship has been recognized through various accolades, including being a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year—Philippines (2022). Furthermore, her restaurants have garnered international acclaim, notably achieving recognition in the prestigious 50 Top Pizza Awards.
For women who are starting their food businesses, de Ocampo advised, “You just have to believe in yourself. You have to trust in your instincts and really dream big, pursue your passions, [and] put in the necessary hard work that you can to be able to achieve this. You have to spend a lot of time, money, [and] resources to be able to build a business, especially a brand that will be acceptable to the market and will stand the test of time.” It's very cutthroat, she warned, “So you have to be on your toes [at] all times. If you fail early on, don't give up; you should not be discouraged. Work hard and try to cover all the bases. And don't settle. Just don't try to settle just to make things happen because you really have to make sure that everything is covered.”
This Women's Month, PhilSTAR L!fe celebrates four women achievers who aren't just achieving success—they're defining it. These women hold the most senior leadership positions in their respective companies, proving that gender is no barrier to reaching the top.
To truly capture the depth and impact of their achievements, L!fe will be featuring each of these extraordinary women in individual stories throughout the month. Their stories serve as powerful inspiration for Filipinas aspiring to excel in any field.
