𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙕𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝘽𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝: 𝘾𝙖𝙛é 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙐𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙣

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙕𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝘽𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝: 𝘾𝙖𝙛é 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙐𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙣

The idea of putting up a café in a provincial town used to be not within the realm of possibility, and that’s perfectly understandable. After all, there was virtually no night life in our neck of the woods at the time. If you wanted to unwind after office hours, you and your friends needed to commute or drive to SM Rosales in Carmen town or in Dagupan City. That would take you about an hour or more of travel.

It was only in 2014 when a local couple thought of putting up a proper cafe, and I thought back then that it was an idea whose time had come. It so happened that the proprietors were people I knew from way back, in high school, to be exact: Jess Benebe and Genevieve Uy. Their shop was a franchise of Highlands Golden Coffee Beans located near the Estacion area.

When I came back home from Manila in 2016, I was, of course, excited to try it. The offerings did not disappoint. I think I had café latte and was only too glad to try their raisin-oatmeal cookie, key lime pie, and red velvet cake with some old friends, among other items on the menu.

I noticed that, by that year, a smallish café whose name I can't recall now was also put up at the entrance of Royal Mall.

From that time on, a thriving scene of cafes and restaurants in that somewhat upscale level that cities offered blossomed in Bayambang town, slowly establishing a cafe culture. The Uy-Benebes' initial venture proved that there was a sustainable market.

The rest followed suit one after another in such a short time, year after year without letup. Maybe the initial attempt created a bandwagon effect? Or maybe the local market and economy allowed it or made it possible?

Pretty soon, there was Niña's Café in St. Vincent Village, Bical Norte, offering not just coffee shop items, but also a surprising variety of cuisines. In 2017, locals got to taste the world’s flavors under one roof right in their hometown. Whether you are going for local fare or foreign dishes, Niña's Café whipped up something for you, depending on the availability of ingredients at the moment. Known for its warm, homey ambiance (the resto was originally a residential unit), it continues to allow guests to savor a cup of brewed coffee, indulge in a mouthwatering pastry, or treat themselves to a satisfying meal. Niña’s Café also offers an event venue and catering services, making it the go-to spot and essential contact for events and celebrations.

Other cafés that sprung up and kept the populace awake if somewhat jittery were Buttercup Café along M.H. Del Pilar, Yellow Tree Café along Rizal Ave., and Switch Café in Magsaysay which offers delicious thin black-crust pizzas among other inventive curiosities.

Pook ni Urduja, the long-established local resort, eventually opened its Urduja Cafe, which doubled as Pizza House. After that, it was hard to follow which one came before and after, with the following places sprouting like mushrooms: GeoCafé Restobar in Brgy. Mangayao, He Brews Cafe in Telbang, Snow Cream Café in Telbang, the tiny Coffee Tayo a.k.a. No Doze Café on Quezon Blvd., Kape Luna along Rizal Ave., Hangout Café in Magsaysay, Café De Marcelino at the Bayambang Commercial Strip, Kape Kultura (Bayambang-Basista Rd.), Cof/Tea Cafe along Guerilla Rd., among other names.

A new favorite is the small-scale Bistro Cinco along Rizal Ave., whose offerings were conceptualized by a Singapore hotel-trained chef. I once met the friendly owners, the De Veras and Ongpaucos, who run a similar bistro in Quezon City. Bistro Cinco is a nice little piece of a Manila cafe/bistro.

Sadly, Highlands Golden Coffee Beans closed its doors after about 10 years of operation, while some cafes came and went after a short run, such as the Buttercup Café, Café Rui, Jozo Café, and Museum Café, for some reason.

But in 2024, a major player dared to open a distance away from the center, in Brgy. Asin, soaring inflation rates and all: Bo’s Café, which has been a familiar brand in Metro Manila and other big cities for years now. It was a bold move on their part, I thought, perhaps testing the waters. I am hopeful this latest development is just a forerunner of other big-name brands where locals can hang out in style, shoot the breeze, think noble thoughts aloud with kindred spirits, pass the time by working on their laptop, or even listen to a poetry reading or an acoustic performance. ...Or all of the above, while sipping something refreshing or invigorating, with some requisite palpitations, of course.

(Circa 2019 photo borrowed from Highland Highlands Golden Coffee Beans)