DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 Sept)—A total of 18 cafés will join the month-long 2023 Davao Coffee Crawl this October to promote farmers and their specialty beans produced from different areas of Mindanao.
Mina Limbaga, co-organizer, told “Wednesdays Media Forum at Habi at Kape” that this year’s coffee crawl, or coffee shop hopping, generated a lot of interest from local cafés, many of them “third wave,” compared with 10 participating shops last year.
She said that coffee lovers who wish to join will be given “crawl cards” sold for P50 each and for every purchase of the beverage, they can get a sticker from participating cafés.
Limbaga said participants would need to collect all 12 stickers to claim their prize for completing the crawl.
“We have quite a big number of participants, although it did not quite scratch the surface yet because of the growing number of coffee shops in the city. But still, a hefty number,” she said.
Kim Fabular, owner of Glasshouse, said the future for third wave coffee shops in Davao is “looking bright” with locals becoming more interested in specialty coffees, and crawl helps promote solidarity among local players.
“The Davao Coffee Crawl has participants leaning towards the third wave coffee movement. It opens a lot of jobs and provides opportunities for wealth creation, and Davao is in that direction,” she said.
Fabular added that the growing number of cafés in Davao reminds them to constantly reinvent and gives them a head start to reflect on their identity as a business to stand out in the local coffee scene.
“The answer is actually very simple.
It’s to constantly know who you are in the coffee scene. Because if you have that solid understanding of yourself or your coffeeshop, you don’t have to do any gimmicks. You can stick to your menus, stick to your offerings, and even the language that you use in your social media, you attract the same people that would opt to go to your coffeeshops,” she said.
Dot Mediano, owner of Lot38, added that the coffee crawl gathers business owners who are passionate about coffee.
“It gives us that excited feeling because as a Dabawenyo and someone who is truly passionate about coffee, this movement, we believe, can spark progress… Coffee is more than just a beverage, it can stimulate conversations and even profoundly affect cultures,” he said.
Mediano said coffee can “spark discussions, inspire individuals, and even encourage collaborations not only between cafés and coffee enthusiasts but also among coffee lovers.”
He said starting a coffee shop business takes knowledge, research and development, and passion.
“Coffee is more than just a beverage. It goes beyond a drink. You also have to learn about people as well because as a coffee shop, you must not only serve quality drinks but also quality service to people. The most challenging part is really about accumulating knowledge,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
