What About Coffee is wake-up worthy
Nestled in a side street off Katipunan, across both Ateneo and Miriam college, is G Park, a new coffee destination for those who live, study or work in the area. We usually park on this road, B. Gonzalez, when we go to church at nearby St. Regis.
G Park features a stylish ‘70s house transformed into a unique coffee spot called What About Coffee, or WaCo for short. The owners also run a branch of JT Manukan beside it. The spacious area in front takes care of parking.
“Some people don’t like old houses, they think there’s so much work that needs to be done,” shares Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, who became an entrepreneur after 15 years of corporate life.
This well-maintained home didn’t need much work, and the layout was conducive to the creation of a fashionably retro space that accommodates the coffee shop, a private study space and interesting nooks that are filled with art and light.
Patrick’s first 15 years running hotels in Davao and Cebu are apparent in What About Coffee, with its delicious fare and seamless service. After joining the MVP Group and working for Smart, Manila Water and Land Co., he continued to make use of his college tourism course by running the University Hotel at his alma mater, UP Diliman. That’s also where he opened Pat and Pat, a Filipino restaurant, then acquired a franchise of JT Manukan along Katipunan.
“We grew the restaurants during COVID,” he says, increasing their JT Manukans to four. “Entrepreneurs increased during the pandemic, and while other businesses were in an uncertain state, people always need food.”
Food is also an interest of Patrick’s wife Marichele, a former Bb. Pilipinas Tourism title winner. Hailing from Pangasinan, her family has had restaurants since she was little. It was Marichele who coined the coffee shop’s name as well as its slogan, “Wake Up Worthy.”
That invitation to start the day with mindfulness, with a sense of purpose and an attitude of positive expectation appeals to the “Zillennials” who are their target market. These 27 to 31 year olds bridge the gap between millennials and Gen Z.
It was hardly surprising that on a recent visit we ran into Victory church pastor Manny Carlos and his wife Minnie, plus their two daughters and the kids of another church stalwart Julius Fabregas. What About Coffee exudes that wholesome and welcoming vibe and I am sure any parent would have no qualms about their kids hanging out here.
There’s great coffee, enhanced by a partnership with Carmen’s Best and you can taste that fresh creaminess in every cup. The food is pure comfort, a quiet room is available for group studies and varsity merch is for sale in one corner. What used to be a stockroom is now a nook with a skyline that lets in the natural light.
The walls display paintings by well-known artists like Cesar Arro as well as colorful examples of “lowbrow” art that looks young and appealing. The most charming art piece of them all is a painting of a duck by Patrick’s daughter Patricia (she is one of the Pats in their UP restaurant Pat and Pat). The piece is a reference to her dad whose nickname in the corporate world is Pato, and is entitled “Duckati” because of his predilection for that brand of motorcycle.
Best dairy.
For now, all-day breakfast is offered from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. but they may adjust the hours to accommodate runners and other early risers. Starters include a thick and hearty tomato soup, a light Caesar salad and a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
Main courses of sirloin beef tapa, boneless bangus sisig or a thick slab of Billionaire’s Bacon come with garlic rice and two sunny-side up eggs. Martin’s Fried Chicken is a carry over from Pat and Pat. Pastas include Marichele’s lasagna and a spicy kimchi pasta with plenty of bacon (that’s how I cook it, too!).
Carmen’s Best dairy adds a subtle richness to their popular Spanish lattes and a wonderful holiday Biscoff drink had me grabbing Biscoff butter and biscuits from the grocery. Croissants and kouign amanns are available to go with your coffee—the latter is a buttery, caramelized confection of puff pastry that is my personal favorite.
The Gregorios aren’t done yet with their food projects, as a branch of What About Coffee is set to rise on the grounds of Camp John Hay in Baguio. Another restaurant in the works, Dialogo, will feature both Filipino and Spanish food.
In the meantime, their “Wake Up Worthy” slogan has surely gotten every visitor to What About Coffee thinking about what that means. Whatever challenges we face this year, it’s good to remember that while we live in a fallen world, it’s a world that Christ has redeemed. We don’t need to do anything to be worthy, just recognize who we are—children of the King in the heavens. For that alone we can truly follow Him with joy and enthusiasm, because He makes us worthy of every good blessing raining from above!
