Meet Liza Lazaro-Matz | Wife, mom and entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liza Lazaro-Matz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liza, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
What is my favorite affirmation?

My favorite affirmation is just two words…Feed them. Several years ago I was meditating and praying about what I should do with the rest of my life. Two of my three children were already living on their own and my youngest was about to graduate high school. For the past 19 years, I had been a stay at home mom and prior to that I worked in corporate America. Whether I was working towards marketing goals, meeting work deadlines or trying to manage the lives and schedules of three children, my life had a distinct purpose. As my husband would say, “The days are packed” and they certainly were. Now, I was approaching the day when I would be an empty nester and then what?

As I sat in my living room that morning years ago, I heard the two words that would give me my life’s purpose…Feed them. I thought, “What? Feed who?” Those two words stuck in my head for weeks. How was I supposed to “Feed them” and where does one even start on this journey? For a start, I decided to volunteer at a local charity, SEVATruckRVA, that provides nutritious food to those less fortunate. For several months,I worked regularly in the kitchen, chopping vegetables, washing dishes and rolling burritos. I loved what I was doing and I figured that this was how I was supposed to “Feed them.” The kitchen where I volunteered is a shared commissary kitchen for local food/beverage entrepreneurs. I had the privilege of meeting some of the best local caterers, chefs, food truck owners and bakers while volunteering. Little did I know that some of these same people would help me launch my own business.

In 2020, the pandemic hit so my volunteer work came to a halt. This left me with a lot more time to mull over my future. Our family managed to make it through all of the pandemic craziness and we actually decided to downsize and move into a smaller home. My goal to “Feed them” was still hanging around in my head so I had to figure out how to “Feed them.”

Fast forward to December 2022. A simple recipe for chili garlic crunch became the answer to how I was to “Feed them.” The chili garlic crunch was something I had only made for family and friends and they would tell me, “You should sell this stuff.” Well, I decided to sell the stuff!

From our first soft opening in May of 2023 to our big launch in July 2023, the response has been nothing short of miraculous! With the help of my daughter’s college friends, advice from established food entrepreneurs and a lot of hard work, Mar Mar Foods, has quickly become a favorite condiment to just about everyone who tries it. We’ve managed to sell close to 1000 jars in less than a year and shipped to 27 of the 50 states. And our sales have been primarily a result of word of mouth and mostly online, as we are in limited stores.

Those two words, “Feed them,” have become our mission statement at Mar Mar. While we love making a delicious product, we believe that it’s even more important to give back. That’s why we donate a portion of our sales to various charities. Since last July, we’ve donated to SEVATruckRVA, Moments of Hope, RVA Community Fridges and BackPack Friends NC.

“Feed them.” That’s my affirmation and I’m sticking to it.

What should our readers know about your business?

My company is Mar Mar Foods. We make and sell Mar Mar Chili Garlic Crunch – a unique condiment that’s not quite an oil, sauce or paste. My mother taught me to cook traditional Filipino dishes when I was young. From there, I learned to cook other Asian cuisines, like Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese. Mar Mar is a flavor fusion of all those cuisines. While there are a lot of similar products on the market, our taste profile is quite different and people love it! What we’ve discovered (not scientifically) is that about 80% of people who try our product, buy it. This is the response that we’ve seen at the events and farmers markets that we’ve attended since we started selling Mar Mar. As more than one customer has told us, “I could eat this straight out of the jar!”

In case you’re wondering where the name Mar Mar came from, it’s what my oldest daughter calls me. When we started the company we didn’t particularly want to use our family name so we decided on Mar Mar and it stuck.

While we’re seeing steady growth and so many new opportunities, the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. One of the challenges we face consistently is our lack of manpower. My company is basically me and my husband, Mike. He has a full time job that takes him out of town 3 days a week. This leaves our weekends to actually go into the commissary kitchen to make our product. As business picks up, we will eventually have to hire people so that I have help during the week. Which leads us to another challenge…capital. We are currently funding the company with our savings, which is not endless. We have a plan for a capital raise so those funds will help get us to the next level.

I do love what I’m doing but owning a business does put your work/life balance out of whack. We spend a considerable amount of time working on our social media, production and marketing. Being a two person operation, these tasks inevitably lead to very long days. It’s not uncommon for me to spend 12 hours or more working on various tasks. This is very different from working for someone else. I’m passionate about what I’m doing so the hours don’t bother me. And what I’m doing now is something is bigger than what I’ve ever done. I’m working to feed others and make a difference in their lives.

What have I learned?

Age doesn’t matter and stepping out of your comfort zone is the scariest and best thing you can do for yourself. Tell me you’re over 50 without telling me you’re over 50. I didn’t have a laptop in college, phones were still attached to walls and MTV showed only music videos. That being said, I’m at the age where a lot of people are retiring or are close to retirement. Starting a business is not something people my age do. I’m supposed to be relaxing and traveling the world, yet here I am, starting a new chapter in my life and it’s exhilarating! So many of my friends have said, “I’m so proud of you.” That makes me feel good but even better, I know that what I’m doing is why I was put on this earth. Moving out of my stay at home mom mode to owning a growing business is not for the faint of heart! But I’m loving every minute of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

When friends visit Richmond there are SO many great things to do and see. It’s a city with a lot of history but has a cool, young vibe to it also. It’s also centrally located so it’s easy to get to Washington DC, Charlottesville VA or the Chesapeake Bay. Here are some of my favorite places to take friends:

-Hiking or strolling along the James River and Canal walk. The views of the river are amazing and after a nice stroll, grab a drink and a bite at one of the many restaurants along the way. Also, there’s some great graffiti (strange but true) along the way. There are plenty of local artists (thanks to the VCU art school) that contribute their artistic ability to create beautiful murals and graffiti all over Richmond.
-Hollywood Cemetery was established in 1847 and is along the banks of the James River. There’s 135 acres that contains the burial plots of presidents, confederate soldiers, authors and other famous people. On a nice day, you get a beautiful view of the river and you can visit the burial plots of Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler. There’s even a folk tale that a vampire inhabits one of the crypts!

-Richmond is a foodie city and has been recognized as such in various publications. There are so many wonderful restaurants. Some of my favorites:
Edo’s Squid – Despite the name, this isn’t a seafood restaurant but one of the best Italian restaurants in town. It could easily be missed as it sits right in the middle of the VCU campus right above a hibachi carryout. Climbing the stairs with weather worn carpet under your feet, you’d never expect to walk into an always packed dining room with exposed brick walls. Their pasta and seafood dishes are delectable!
L’Oppusum is a one of kind fine dining restaurant. Very funky vibe and a menu to match. Where else can you get a “Faberge Egg bedazzled with caviar and dill cured salmon” or “Cocky yet classic and so very comfy – cozy coq au vin?”
Proper Pie Company serves delicious savory or sweet hand pies.
The Jefferson Hotel serves a killer champagne brunch or afternoon tea. This hotel is over a 100 years old and is worth visiting just to see the beautiful lobby areas.
Sabai (Thai Food,) Sub Rosa Bakery, ZZQ bbq and Stella’s (Greek) but I’ll just stop here as there are too other great places to list Friends who’ve visited and have tried some of these places always want to come back.

For a rainy day, the Hotel Greene in Richmond is a must! It’s a converted hotel from the 1920’s, that has been turned into an indoor miniature golf course. This is not your typical mini golf course. You putt your way through hallways, guest rooms and even bathrooms. While you’re at it, you can enjoy your favorite adult beverage served by hotel staff. They also offer appetizers,, brunch and date night dinner. BTW…they recently included Mar Mar Chili Garlic Crunch in some of their dishes!

And for a nice day trip, it’s a 2 hour drive to Washington DC. No explanation needed. Lots of stuff to see and do.

One of the places that I love to take visitors is Charlottesville. It’s about an hour drive from Richmond. Great places to visit while there are Monticello (Thomas Jefferson’s home) and the whimsical Merrie Mill Farm Vineyard.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First, big shoutout to my husband and children. My husband, Mike, really pushed me out of my comfort zone by urging (while I kicked and screamed) me to start Mar Mar. He’s always there for moral support, business knowledge and doing the financial stuff that I hate. He’s a true partner in all that we endeavor and has my back every step of the way. Also, my kids are my biggest cheerleaders. They always have an encouraging word and they are always there to help out when we need it. I could go on and about Mike and my children. Suffice it to say, I wouldn’t have started this journey without their encouragement, advice and support. Second, I have so many friends that have pitched in to help label jars, work in the kitchen or just listen to my rambling about my business. They’ve given me the confidence that I didn’t know I had to start a business.
And last but not least by any means, huge shoutout to God! He’s the one who put those two words in my head and he’s the one who is making it all happen. I’m just here to cook and feed them. I’m leaving it up to Him to do the rest.

Website: ilovemarmar.com

Instagram: @ilubmarmar

Facebook: Mar Mar Foods

Other: Read about us in: https://rvamag.com/eatdrink/mar-mar-what-is-it-and-why-arent-you-eating-it-right-now.html https://richmondmagazine.com/restaurants-in-richmond/chili-crisp/

Image Credits
Mike Avey