Welcome to Mabuhay

Today Glenda Hamilton lives 7,000 miles from her hometown.

The 32-year-old owner of Mabuhay Oriental Foods was born in Olongapo, Philippines and these days she sells the foods of her homeland in downtown Columbia Falls.

"I sell food from the Philippines and also some from Vietnam," she said. "I sell a lot of sushi ingredients like wrappers. Most of the stuff I carry you can't find anywhere in Montana."

Hamilton left the Philippines in 1987. Her family traveled first to Puerto Rico and then to Texas. When they next moved to New York, Hamilton enrolled at the Brentwood Campus of Long Island University and graduated in 1995 with a degree in accounting.

What brought her to Columbia Falls was her older sister, who lived there.

What keeps her in Columbia Falls is her family and her business.

"I met my husband, Roy, through a friend at church," Hamilton said. "We've been married seven years and are raising two daughters."

Roy Hamilton is a trucker and volunteer firefighter.

When Glenda Hamilton arrived in Columbia Falls, she first cashiered at Smith's and later cleaned offices for a living.

"I was also a substitute teacher," she said. "It was supposed to be for K-6, but they always called me for K-12, anyway."

The Hamiltons thought about opening a store long before it became a reality. Food seemed like the right way to go with their entrepreneurial dreams, because Glenda Hamilton loved to cook and always prepared Philippine dishes at home.

"When I first moved here, there were no Asian food stores in the area," she said. "I had to get my ingredients somewhere else."

When Roy Hamilton retired from his job at the local school district this year, the couple invested his retirement money in the startup of Mabuhay Oriental Foods. Because of their self-funding, they did not need to take out a loan.

The store has been open since July 1. It sells a wide variety of exotic foods, such as banana sauce, curry paste, multi-colored seaweed gelatin, purple yam jam, smoked milk fish, and a Philippine bread stuffed with coconut jam.

Glenda Hamilton said her Jasmine rice - which she sells in 5- to 50-pound bags - has been especially popular. When she runs out of stock, she goes over to Seattle for a gourmet buying spree.

On Fridays and Saturdays, Hamilton sells a hot meal in the store. It's often adobo - a chicken dish with a sauce made from chiles, tomato, vinegar and other spices. The adobo is served over Jasmine rice.

Currently, local health regulations do not allow Hamilton to do restaurant cooking in her retail store. She can cook, however, at someone else's restaurant and then serve it at Mabuhay Foods.

Up ahead, the Hamiltons dream of owning a bigger store - one that is half-restaurant and half-retail.

Glenda Hamilton is pleased with her Columbia Falls location.

"If people want what I sell, they'll know where to come," she said. "It's not like we're 30-40 miles away from everyone."

Roy Hamilton is surprised that business has been going as good as it has. "We've only been open two months and we're already making the bills," he said. "We're doing better than we thought we would."

Glenda Hamilton still substitute-teaches on Mondays when the store is closed.

In addition to their traditional family responsibilities, the Hamiltons are hosting a 15-year-old exchange student from Vietnam. Previously, they hosted a Swedish teenager.

In the Philippines, "Mabuhay" means "welcome."