From kitchen helper to entrepreneur: Chef builds ‘guilt-free’ dessert chain

Czarina Sevilla, aka chef Cza, grew up with a deep affinity for the rough, calloused hands that bring food to the table.

The daughter of a farmer from Pangasinan, she carries soil-born wisdom and passion with her.

She is the antithesis of a “nepo baby.” Money was scarce growing up. Her father tended mango farms that he didn’t own. Besides farming, the family owned a small canteen—but it went bankrupt.

“It was painful, but it also fueled my promise to work hard, not just for myself, but to someday give back to them,” Cza tells the Inquirer.

Luckily, a compassionate uncle gave her a lifeline. In college, she initially took up computer science, heeding her parents’ wish for her to build a career in tech.

“But deep down, I knew it wasn’t for me. I was struggling, and eventually, I made the decision without my parents’ consent to follow my passion,” she says.

She enrolled in Montessori Professional College and finished a two-year course in hotel and restaurant services.

“While I didn’t go to culinary school, all my skills and knowledge were developed through real-life experience. I trained and worked in a five-star hotel and a buffet restaurant; those were my classrooms. That’s where I truly learned the craft, and where my love for food turned into a lifelong career,” she says.

The 7-year itch

Cza started as a hotel kitchen helper and then worked as a pastry chef for a buffet restaurant.

“Those years were full of learning. I started from the bottom, worked my way up, and experienced the pressures and discipline of the kitchen first hand,” she says.

“Looking back, those years shaped not just my skills, but also my character. They prepared me for the challenges of running my own business.”

She worked for seven years before building her own kitchen. In 2019, at the age of 27, she was ready to be her own boss.

With a capital of P150,000 borrowed from her sister, she founded Avocadoria.ph, a kiosk that sells avocado-based desserts that even someone without a sweet tooth will crave for.

“I didn’t have any formal business background, just pure passion, grit and a dream. I took a leap of faith, guided by my love for desserts and the hope that I could turn that into something meaningful,” she adds.

“I’ve always believed in creating desserts that are not only indulgent but also rooted in natural ingredients.”

She opened her first store in Pasig City, settling in a small space beside her brother’s seafood restaurant. She developed the recipes herself.

Indulge ‘without the guilt’

“At Avocadoria, we believe you can treat yourself without the guilt. We use real avocados, no artificial flavors, no shortcuts. Our products are crafted with premium, nutrient-rich ingredients and we aim to create a guilt-free dessert experience that’s both healthy and satisfying,” she says.

Avocadoria products are, indeed, a feast for the palate. Best-seller Avocado Lover—soft serve ice cream with roasted almonds, fresh avocado bits, tapioca and Graham—is an explosion of rich flavors without an overload of sweetening.

It wasn’t an overnight hit. On the first day, the maiden kiosk sold only two cups—one of which Cza herself purchased and the second was bought by a jeepney barker.

But even the jeepney barker fell in love with it, so he became the de facto marketer. Aside from broadcasting the routes to fill each jeepney trip, he introduced the dessert to the commuters.

“It came to a point we were causing traffic in the area already,” she says. “The rest is history.”

Since then, Avocadoria has grown its footprint to 240 branches across the Philippines.

It now employs 280 people and is still growing.

Franchising

In the next three to five years, Cza hopes to open more stores—and her horizon goes beyond Philippine borders.

Apart from 240 domestic stores, Avocadoria now has three branches in Singapore and will soon open its first branch in Dubai.

“We are looking into markets like Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States,” she adds.

Franchising is part of the expansion route, with 90 percent of its outlets held by franchisees.

“Franchising has allowed us to scale rapidly while still maintaining brand control through strict training, quality assurance and centralized supply chain management,” she says.

However, franchisees are carefully curated.

“We look for franchisees who share our vision and are committed to quality,” she says.

An Avocadoria franchise starts at P1.45 million for a kiosk. This includes the franchise fee, kiosk construction, equipment and initial inventory.

“We aim to grow steadily but sustainably,” she says.

The team is now in talks with potential strategic partners, both local and international, to make more inroads into overseas markets.

Diversification

In terms of product mix, Avocadoria is diversifying beyond avocado soft-serve ice cream, shakes and tin can cakes.

Among its newest products is Avo Pistachio Knafe, a Dubai Chocolate-inspired dessert reinvented with chef Cza’s signature avocado base and generous layers of pistachio, Kataifi and homemade pistachio sauce.

Avo Biscoff Lover is her indulgent take on cookie butter-meets-creamy avocado.

And if Davao has its durian coffee, Avocadoria has introduced Avocado Coffee. This newest concoction is made with real avocado and collagen and sweetened with stevia.

“It’s a guilt-free, energizing cup that’s both healthy and delicious,” she says.

While Avocadoria now only relies on its own stores, the team is now looking at other sales channels.

“We’re also looking into distribution so more people can enjoy our products even at home, in cafés, or in other retail spots,” she says.

“Whether it’s bottled drinks, ready-to-eat desserts, or frozen favorites, we want to make happiness in avocado more accessible to everyone.”

Farming advocacy

One of the core advocacies of Avocadoria is to uplift farmers. After all, Cza’s experience as a farmer’s daughter deeply shaped her journey as an entrepreneur.

“It made me realize how important it is to support local farmers, especially those like my father who work tirelessly behind the scenes,” she says.

“It’s more than a business for me; it’s personal.”

Beyond the product, she says Avocadoria’s mission is to create impact. She works closely with local farmers, especially avocado growers, to help boost their livelihood and promote sustainable farming practices.

“Every cup or slice you enjoy supports that vision,” she notes.

While the common belief is that avocado is a seasonal produce, Cza says the fruit is actually available locally all year round. Her team just needs to work closely with multiple suppliers from different regions, as harvest season varies. This is how Avocadoria ensures that it will have an adequate supply.

By supporting and building good relationship with farmers and cooperatives, these communities support the brand as well, Cza says. When there’s not enough domestic harvest, that’s the time when Avocadoria taps backup sources abroad.

“But our priority is still local avocado,” she says.

“It’s really about planning ahead. We manage our inventory through predictive forecasting tools and seasonal planning.”

Spoilage is curbed through multiple layers: tight inventory controls, training staff on proper handling and investing in cold chain logistics.

Cza and team have also designed menu to be versatile. Avocado purée, for example, can be used across various products.

Six years into the business, Avocadoria has gained a growing fandom. And it’s a homegrown brand with the potential to win even global consumers who are picky with their calorie intake.

Chef Cza might just be the one who can convince Westerners — most of whom see this fruit only as an ingredient for salad or guacamole sauce — about the sweet possibilities for avocado.

“We want to be more than just a dessert brand. We want to bring ‘happiness in avocado’ to every table, every heart, and every community we reach,” Cza says.