A former waiter in Dubai has built his own food trading company in the United Arab Emirates after years of savings, small side sales and setbacks.

The VJ Estender UAE business journey began with modest work as an overseas Filipino worker and later developed into Great Harvest Foodstuff and Trading Services, a company that supplies food products in the UAE market.

Estender, originally from Negros Occidental in the Philippines, grew up around family businesses, including restaurants, fish farms and poultry farms. He said those early experiences helped him understand both the opportunities and risks of running a business.

He recalled that his parents once opened a small food shop with high hopes, but the shop was demolished just a month after opening. He said the experience taught him at an early age that business success is rarely straightforward and often requires resilience.

Like many overseas Filipino workers, Estender moved to Dubai in search of better opportunities. His first job was as a waiter, but he soon realised that a regular salary alone would not be enough to build the future he wanted.

After work, he began selling dried fish, clothes, masks and packed food to friends and relatives. The extra income was saved as part of his long-term plan to start a business.

Estender said the journey was difficult and included job losses, rejection and financial pressure. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he lost his job and remained unemployed for about a year.

He said that period tested both his finances and confidence, but he continued saving where possible, planning his next steps and looking for new opportunities.

In 2023, Estender married a woman who shared his interest in entrepreneurship. The couple decided to prioritise their long-term goal of building a business in the UAE instead of spending on travel and leisure.

He said the company was built entirely from savings collected during years of work in the UAE. Each dirham, he said, represented a decision to move closer to the business they wanted to create.

Those savings eventually helped establish Great Harvest Foodstuff and Trading Services. The company now works with suppliers and distributors to provide food products in the UAE market.

Estender later introduced the company’s first major product, Crunchaa, a banana chips brand developed to reflect both his business journey and Filipino identity.

He said the idea came from the popularity of banana chips and the growing demand for distinctive snack products. He worked on the product concept, selected flavours and helped shape the brand’s identity.

Crunchaa was first launched in three flavours: honey coated, nutty chocolate and cookies and cream. The brand later added an ube-coated flavour inspired by the purple yam widely used in Filipino desserts and snacks.

Estender said the goal was to introduce a Filipino-style snack to the UAE market while focusing on quality, crispness and flavour.

For him, the launch marked a personal milestone. He said he once sold products room to room after duty hours for extra income, and now his own brand is reaching consumers in the Emirates.

Asked why he chose the UAE for his business, Estender said the country had allowed him to turn hardship into purpose. He said the UAE’s stability, strong economy, logistics network and business-friendly environment created opportunities for entrepreneurs.

He said that for many migrants, the UAE is a place of employment, but for him it became a place to build a dream.

In 2024, Estender began sharing his story on social media as a content creator. He said his aim was not only visibility, but also to encourage others facing difficult circumstances.

Over the next five years, he hopes to grow his company into a stronger brand and create employment opportunities for others.

Estender said business, for him, is not only about income. He described it as a way to support his family, inspire other overseas Filipino workers and prove that hard work and discipline can turn plans into reality.

He said one lesson from his father and grandfather continues to guide him: treat neighbours and people around you well, and success will follow.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: start small, but keep prayers and intentions big.

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