This minimalist café in Laguna advocates sustainability while offering great coffee

In only a month of operation, Muni Coffee has caught the attention of social media users and coffee lovers.

True to its minimalist and Japanese-inspired concept, the owners keep their menu simple so that the coffee stands out.

“We want to let people taste kung gaano kasarap ’yung coffee namin so we want to maintain sana ’yung quality and lasa noong coffee,” said Julius Lacaba, one of the owners of Muni Coffee, which is located in Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna.

Aside from coffee-based products, Muni Coffee also offers chocolate drinks and tea. Some of the crowd favorites are caramel macchiato and their signature iced coffee that’s available in three flavors.

In coming up with their food and drinks, Julius said they made sure that that the ingredients were of high quality and well-balanced.

Muni Coffee has become a go-to spot in Laguna because of the noise it made on social media.

Here, anyone can score great coffee for less than a hundred pesos, making it perfect for both students and working professionals.

“Gusto naming bumalik ’yung tao and we want them to know na hindi kailangan maging mahal para makatikim ka ng good coffee,” said Julius.

While his partner Isabella Ragaza specialized in coffee, Julius said he took care of their sandwiches.

What makes Muni Coffee stand out, however, is also the fact that they reuse and upcycle materials, such as used milk boxes and wooden stirrers, for their products.

While they are yet to find an alternative for plastic cups “that would not compromise the quality of Muni Coffee drinks,” they hope to inspire others to do their part in caring for nature.

“Kung hindi man mawala, at least ma-minimize ’yung waste na pino-produce namin. Sobrang masaya na kami,” said Julius.

“Sana ma-inspire din namin ’yung mga small businesses na mag-recycle ng mga products and gumamit ng environmentally friendly na gamit,” he added.

Even before starting their business, Julius and Isabella have always been environmentally conscious.

Julius recalled the challenges they faced while they were just in the planning stage.

While looking for good suppliers in the middle of the ongoing health crisis, the owners questioned themselves but pushed through anyway.

“We  will never know hangga’t hindi namin sinusubukan,” said Julius.

With their café serving more than a hundred customers daily, Julius said learning never stops and they will continue producing good food while advocating for the environment. – RC, GMA News