Did We Make the Right Choice of Opening a New Cafe and Resto during the Pandemic?

Ground Zero

I still remember it clearly like it was just yesterday. I was driving from Commune Cafe, one of our partner kitchens for Frontline Feeders Philippines, to Makati Medical Center to bring meals for COVID-19 frontliners and responders. It was just a short 3 km drive from Poblacion to Legazpi Village but in between that short distance is the sight of the roads and establishments leading to the hospital was heartbreaking.

The familiar places where I used to hang out and dine were either non-operational or permanently closed. Makati Central Business District feels like a ghost town. 24h convenience stores which you never thought would be empty were empty. It is a big slap on how COVID-19 has affected our lives. It was scary. Several businesses closed, and people lost their jobs, yet here I am, braving another chapter of my life – leaving Manila and deciding to open a new business in a different industry.

Entering a new chapter

Running a new cafe and restaurant under normal circumstances is difficult enough; opening one in the middle of the pandemic is like some people might say, crazy. I am lucky to be partnering with Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco of Gypsy, a veteran chef, and restauranteur. Adapting to the new normal is a different kind of challenge. Our challenge of doing construction and renovations for our space was one heck of an ordeal. The pandemic showed new sets of difficulties such as setting rigid safety protocols for both guests and employees, contact tracing, and lack of in-store traffic. With the ever-changing guidelines of the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) here in the Philippines, you’ll always be hanging by a thread. One day you’re operating, then the next day you’re closed.

Being in Baguio helps. We both agreed that Baguio will be the destination for local tourists as it would be hard for Filipinos to go out of the country for the next few years. The fresh air, cold breeze, and laidback lifestyle of the mountainside contributed to my decision to pursue this endeavor. To be able to brew and drink coffee in this weather. Every cup of coffee I share with my guests is me sharing a bit of warmth and gratefulness for being a fighter of this pandemic. To be able to converse and laugh with people right now is a privilege. I am more than happy to create a space for people to reconnect again.

So… did I make the right choice of opening a new business in the mountainside during the pandemic? I sure did. I’d like to think my dog thinks so, too. While every day is a gamble, it keeps me looking forward to tomorrow. This decision has become my way of not giving up on living. Let’s cheers to living and cups of coffee. See you in Gypsy Baguio by Chef Waya and at our Taguan.