I recently met someone who doesn’t drink coffee. In a tone certain to relay that I was kidding, I jabbed (and quite loudly), “so you think you’re better than the rest of us?”
My own coffee journey began in college where I’d heap scoops of instant coffee into a heat-resistant plastic container—but only when necessary. I suppose it was here that I decided I’m no better than “the rest of us.”
These days, while I’m certainly not a snob, I’d much rather sip on a well-prepared long black—and from a very short list of stores. And not just when necessary. Daily.
RG Medestomas is a full-time commercial photographer based in Manila, and he also loves a great cup of coffee. With his paternal family hailing from Olongapo, Medestomas would make the trip from Manila monthly to see his grandparents.
“Back then, there were not a lot of establishments that offered decent coffee [in the area],” RG Medestomas recalls. Around mid 2021, he, his three siblings, and a cousin decided to do something about it: They would put their money together, brainstorm, open up a small cafe, and fill in the gap.
“Back then, there were not a lot of establishments that offered decent coffee [in the area],” he recalls. Around mid 2021, Medestomas, his three siblings, and a cousin decided to do something about it: They would put their money together, brainstorm, open up a small cafe, and fill in the gap.
They recognized however that they were neither trained baristas nor coffee specialists.
“While brainstorming, I remembered meeting Matt through a friend,” says Medestomas, referencing Matt Carpio who previously worked with Starbucks, Yardstick, Hey Handsome!, and El Union Coffee.
“I talked to my siblings and eventually offered Matt to be a partner.” More than the obvious importance of Carpio in the team, i.e. his expertise as a barista and bartender, there is another defining happenstance he brings to the table.
“During the initial meeting,” recalls Medestomas, “I found out that he’s from Olongapo as well.” With a shared hometown, the members on the team decided on a name: Hometown Cafe.
Clean shades of gray and white with streaks of green
These are the color elements making up the 33-square meter space Hometown Cafe now fills in the Wow World Complex at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Olongapo City. Floorspace notwithstanding, the outlet appears expansive with its high ceilings and simple, neatly spaced barista necessities lining a counter. They serve around 40 customers out of this space on any given day.
Equally straightforward and neat: the menu. The long black I’d quickly order, check. Flat white, cappuccino, pour overs, single origin choices, and matcha. Check. The bestsellers have a sharp spin on them though: these are the Dirty Horchata (which is a collaboration with Vida Loca), the Matcha Espresso Latte, and the Blue Pea Tarragon Lemonade, ”a brainchild between Matt and myself,” says Medestomas.
“Since the community in Subic [and] Olongapo is still new and young to specialty coffee,” says RG Medestomas, “we introduced both a familiar taste in our espresso (dark choco and nutty) and something more light and complex (single origins) to the table.”
The menu design reflects the team’s effort to grow the coffee culture in the Olongapo City area. “Since the community in Subic [and] Olongapo is still new and young to specialty coffee,” says Medestomas, “we introduced both a familiar taste in our espresso (dark choco and nutty) and something more light and complex (single origins) to the table so people can explore and be keen on having a new and interesting coffee experience.”
The idea here: to serve both “serious and casual coffee drinkers in the area.” They have puppuccinos for pets too.
On introducing this coffee experience to his hometown, Medestomas reflects, “Matt took inspiration from Yardstick and El Union Coffee where they managed to adapt to the local market without compromising the quality standards of how coffee is prepared.”
He adds that folks usually think that coffee quality changes as one takes the trip from Manila to the provinces around it. “That’s something we wanted to avoid.”
And they avoid that with good beans
“When sourcing beans, trust and attention to detail is key,” says Medestomas. “That’s why we worked closely with [the Yardstick team] for our opening.” Currently, the team is sourcing its beans through Yardstick while getting their single origin beans from other roasters for the sake of diversity.
“We’re also open to partner with more roasters so we can bring a variety of beans [to] Subic.” Which makes good business sense.
“[It’s] important because they will make sure you get the best quality coffee for you and your cafe.” Especially in the specialty coffee community, where many of the true coffee snobs in fact exist.”
But how did Hometown Cafe go from an idea to serving coffee in five months?
The cafe opened on Dec. 1, 2021 and went from concept to functioning store in, yes, five months. “But it could have been shorter really.” Medestomas and the team with a goal of serving good coffee to locals and tourists “were very hands-on [and] construction and sourcing for suppliers were done simultaneously in just two months.”
Here are some key pointers that helped them do this:
Get great beans and ask for help when you need to
”Go to your trusted cafe or roastery and have a chat with your barista. They will be more than happy to help you source the coffee you need.”
Rally a team around one design concept
”We made a Pinterest board,” Medestomas laughs. But this allowed all partners to have a say in the design of the outlet. “I made them go through how I deal with clients who don’t know what they want in a shoot.” After the team came to an agreement, Allan Bill of Designbybill put it together.
Responding to the question pondering how much cash a small cafe takes to set up, Medestomas responds “Around P1,500,000 to P2,000,000 is enough.” “[The] renovation of the space is definitely the biggest chunk of our expense,” he continues. “Next is the machine, which costs around P450,000.”
Design around your workflow
Upon being asked the most important design elements to consider, Medestomas responds, “storage.” “It starts with how the workflow will be.”
Have the capital ready
Responding to the question pondering how much cash a small cafe takes to set up, Medestomas responds “Around P1,500,000 to P2,000,000 is enough.” “[The] renovation of the space is definitely the biggest chunk of our expense,” he continues. “Next is the machine, which costs around P450,000.”
Find great suppliers
The recurring expenses of the cafe are the beans, milk, ice, and cups (Medestomas’ favorite). I gesture that the machine might have a lot of recurring costs, too. “But part of the investment of buying the machine brand new from our supplier is that they have an impeccable after sales service,” Medestomas responds. “And we’re confident that the machine is in good hands because of Matt.”
Eyes on the future
Hometown Cafe is taking a quick break from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2 and is, per its Instagram page, “excited to introduce new drinks, yummy pastries, and definitely a lot more collaborations.”
Medestomas looks forward to resident barista Carpio’s efforts shining in the coming year. “Before coming on board with Hometown Cafe, Matt dabbled in being a barista and bartender in El Union Coffee. Adding cocktails to the menu sooner or later is inevitable. We’re also excited to expand our pastry and small meals menu.”
But they’re not looking to sprout outlets around just yet.
“We can go back to the main reason why we wanted to put up Hometown Cafe in the first place [which is] to fill in the gap of the lack of good coffee outlets in the area.”
I suppose it wouldn’t quite be Hometown Cafe if it wasn’t actually located in the team’s hometown.