After mastering the craft of making our own brewed coffee at home, we may have forgotten what it feels to enjoy a cup in-store at a café with soft ambient music on repeat.

[READ: A no-frills guide to brewing your own coffee]

The challenge for coffee shop interiors post-pandemic is how to make the in-store experience worth going for, even when we basically have everything we’ll ever need to make a decent cup at home.

Elephant Grounds is more than happy to step up. More than a year after opening its first Manila store at Bonifacio Global City, the Hong Kong-based café and brunch place is already setting its eyes on opening a new one. The next store will be at The Podium in Mandaluyong.

Elephant Grounds co-founder entrepreneur Kevin Poon shares a sneak peek of what to expect at the upcoming store: a two-level tree house-inspired structure.

In an Instagram post, Poon describes the space as “designed with nooks and crannies to hide out and catch up with homies or if you’re out on a quick date or a Zoom meeting.”

Michael Concepcion, chief brand officer of the Standard Hospitality Group, which owns the Elephant Grounds Manila franchise, reveals that The Podium branch will open this week. He also shared photos of the facade that reverberates with the same warmth as that of the first location, with wood and iron accents.

Watch this space for more updates on the opening of Elephant Grounds at The Podium.

Photos courtesy of Kevin Poon/Elephant Grounds

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