This coffee shop operates from the trunk of a car, on the side of the road
Somewhere along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City, overlooking the mountains of Rizal, an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) is parked on the side of the road with an open trunk, an extended makeshift roof, and a few wooden tables and chairs. This is not a family's tailgate picnic but is actually a coffee shop.
Kape Sina Una just opened last weekend, exclusively selling local coffee. A chalkboard sign is propped on the side of its “mobile coffee shop” with a list of various coffee drinks, all priced below P60.
The vehicle is parked on the laybay area. | Source: Kape Sina Una
Accountant Mark Macul and engineer Mc-Neil Manauis are the men behind Kape SIna Una.
“Ang mobile kape ay tanging konsepto lamang upang mas makilala ang ating mga lokal na kape sa pamamagitan ng pagtitinda sa gilid ng kalsada na aming kasalukuyang ginagamit,” Mark explains in an interview with GMANewtwork.com.
The coffee shop is exactly parked along Marilaque Road on Marcos Highway, Sitio Calumpang, Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City. Mark is a resident in the area and found the spot for the coffee shop's temporary address.
Locally sourced coffee | Source: Kape Sina Una
According to him, they are still looking for a permanent place for their small business. They picked the current spot for its view. Some of their customers include bikers and cyclists taking a break from the physically demanding mountain roads of Antipolo.
They named their coffee shop Kape Sina Una after the Tagalog word “sinauna” which means “ancient.” Mark and Mc-Neil wanted a name that would reflect the surroundings, the “probinsiya feels” to be exact.
The coffee shop is only open on weekends, for now.
The view at night is incredible | Source: Kape Sina Una
What the owners want to highlight is the coffee. All of their ground coffee beans are sourced locally, from Batangas all the way to Cordillera.
“Mga lokal na ground coffee mula sa Hilaga at Timog ng ating bansa gaya ng Kapeng Barako ng Batangas, Kalinga Brew mula sa Cordillera, Houseblend Arabica, Hazelnut, Vanilla at Kapeng Barako na mula naman sa Baguio,” Mark says.
They also sell on-the-go coffee drip bags that are available online.
But more importantly, they are doing this for the local farmers. Sourcing their coffee locally is a way to help the local coffee industry. They also plan to do an outreach program to help the children of farmers in need.
“Bilang pagtangkilik sa sariling produktong kape ng ating mga lokal na magsasaka, naipapakita natin ang simpleng suporta upang ito ay lalong mapaunlad at makilala ng ating mga kababayan. Ang Kape Sina Una ay may plano ring maglunsad ng isang outreach program sa mga anak ng ating mga mahal na magsasaka ng kape,” Mark shares.
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