Coffee-car wash biz makes waves in Bohol

Coming up with one business is hard enough, but bundling two businesses together? Talk about a challenge. But businesswoman Ayressa Tanya Ayeng-Colarines from Tagbilaran had a game plan that proved to be a recipe for success: setting up an internet-ready cafe to go with the car wash business.

The business logic was there: People need a place to stay and spend their time while having their car washed, and a cafe was the perfect solution. 

“Most of the working professionals I cater to want to have their coffee while waiting for their car to get washed, so they’re on their laptops and their phones while waiting,” said proprietor Ayressa Tanya Ayeng-Colarines. 

The car wash business was set up in 2019 in the same area where Colarines' father ran their 20-year old gas station. Inheriting her father’s business-savviness, she followed up the car wash with the cafe–called Your Lounge cafe–two years later. 

“With the two businesses complementing each other, sales of the car wash doubled,” said Colarines. 

Although Your Lounge cafe ties in with the car wash, it can stand on its own as a business: Apart from coffee, it offers a wide array of dishes including Filipino food and American cuisine. Offering full meals make it an ideal brunch place during weekdays, a place where you can invite friends and family, even without having their car washed. 

Perhaps the biggest advantage Your Lounge can offer its target market of working professionals is its lightning-speed internet connection. Your Lounge can also be a co-working space where people can pay an affordable rate of P30 per hour for internet use for workers who are “working from cafe.” 

“Most of our clients are working professionals so we allow them to work here for longer hours at a friendly rate. They like working in a cozy place with fast wifi connection so they choose to be here,” shared Colarines. 

This pivot into a digital-ready establishment was made possible thanks to the pure fiber connection provided by Converge, a relatively new player on the block in Bohol. Word spread quickly about Converge's high speeds and unbeatable prices, and Your Lounge readily signed on. 

“Many Boholanos are curious about how fast Converge is. They tried it here in the cafe and they’re satisfied with the internet connection. I see clients posting their speed tests on our Facebook page and I share it,” she said. 

Digital empowerment for Boholanos

A point of pride for the young businesswoman is that they kept workers connected throughout the pandemic. 

“I have a friend who is an online English teacher. They inquired through the Facebook page if she can teach at the cafe, and we said yes since we have a fast connection. She’s been coming here almost everyday since that day she inquired,” Colarines said.

Aside from those working from home, Your Lounge cafe also serves as a virtual classroom for students. “Parents bring their children after school, and they do their assignments here using their tablets,” she added. 

At the height of online events, Your Lounge also offered live-streaming to go with their catering service, proving they are a digitally-empowered and forward-looking business. In one instance they provided live-streaming for a church-service where the guest preacher was based in Manila. Attendees in Bohol flocked to the cafe to attend the event together while enjoying delicious food served in the cafe.

“I want customers to have a different experience in Your Lounge. Aside from enjoying our food, they’ll receive top-notch service from our car wash. So they have a fast wi-fi connection, good food, and other services,” Colarines said. 

Visit Your Lounge RestoBar for inquiries on bookings and catering. 

To know more about Converge, visit convergeict.com. 

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Converge.