MANILA, Philippines – What was once a coffee takeout truck known for its bright colors along the bustling Yuchengco street in Binondo, Beanstro has grown into a full-fledged coffee shop, now offering hot brews, pastries, and rice meals.
The founders, couple Jenne To and Paul Evangelista had already set their eyes on Beanstro as a complete coffee shop even back when it was a street stall, knowing that only a physical shop can become the basis for future franchises.
“As business owners, we wanted to be hands-on [with our products] before we sell our brand [itself]; to sell the brand, it should already be matured,” Evangelista told Rappler in a mix of English and Filipino.
“We’re going to open for franchising because we already have a long list of those inquiring about franchising.”
The shop’s planning and construction phases took about 3 months.
Humble roots
Beanstro’s beginning came earlier than the famous coffee truck; it started during the pandemic when they began offering home-based coffee products.
As the quarantine policies became more lax and home-based products were no longer as in demand, the couple began selling surpluses through a pop-up tent.
Within one year — despite the challenges of selling outdoors — the tent gave them enough finances to purchase and set up Beanstro’s iconic “coffee takeout truck.”
Evangelista said the coffee truck, at the time, was the best solution to their exposure to weather conditions which at times forced them to be closed for the day, as well as the lack of comfort they faced with the pop-up tent.
They opted for it given its affordability, mobility, and the lack of good rental places for businesses around Binondo.
Through the coffee truck take-out setup, they were able to open for business daily and cater to customers more comfortably.
Personal advocacies
For Evangelista, one important aspect of the business is the support they can offer farmers by opting to have their coffee beans locally sourced. This is actually how the idea for Beanstro sprouted.
“The idea for this (Beanstro) began when I traveled with my girlfriend to Baguio where we saw local farmers selling beans, that’s when we had a ‘lightbulb idea’ moment to support them. The value in the idea that we took to heart became to support the farmers,” he said.
The decision to go the truck route also later proved to be the best choice as it allowed them to push their advocacy of contributing to communities’ development, by using the truck set up to partner with sorbetes vendors in creating their own “Pinoy-style affogato.”
It is sorbetes ice cream drowned in Beastro’s coffee and topped with various add-ons, like matcha, buko, or milk.
“Yun yung gusto namin i-share, yung blessing din hindi lang kami yung kumikita, since experience namin being a street vendor alam namin yung of course hirap,” he added.
(That’s what we wanted to share — our blessings, so we’re not the only ones profiting. We experienced being street vendors once so of course we know the difficulty.)
With the partnership being loved by customers and yielding a positive impact on the local community, the couple said they will keep the truck as an alternative take-out option from the shop.
Designing Beanstro’s first shop
With minimalist-style coffee shops popping up in almost every spot in the metro, Beanstro stands out by channeling its brand identities of color and fun into its first physical shop.
They wanted to add some retro pop to the local coffee culture experience.
When you find yourself walking around the inner streets of Binondo, you may come across Beanstro’s eye-catching orange facade, inviting you inside to be greeted by its colorful and retro twists.
The inspiration ranges from mid-century modern, industrial, to Nordic design approaches, which owner Evangelista said reflects the customer experience they want to provide.
“Our branding is about being fun, youthful and giving a positive energy, so that’s what we wanted to promote with the shop; upon entering you’ll already experience its cozy yet fun atmosphere,” Evangelista said.
He said that the colorful approach was inspired by trends abroad.
“We are fans of the coffee culture in Bangkok and Vietnam. In fact, when we toured around Bangkok, we saw how popping in color their art style was, they have lots of color. In the Philippines, we’re approaching that, but we actually started with minimalism — all white [or] black and white,” he said.
More food and beverage offerings
With a bigger shop comes bigger offerings, including in-house pastries and lunch meals.
Evangelista says the shop’s target market is working young adults so they made sure the prices are matched for them.
One of the more unique drinks that Beanstro is proud of is its macadamia- and cacao-infused drink dubbed the “Beanondo Campfire”.
I had the chance to try the drink during my visit to their shop; one would find it more distinct than the typical premium coffee. You’ll taste that the macadamia nuts stand out a lot, in a good way.
For its croissants, Beanstro’s owners said they are house-baked, with guidance from an expert chef hailing from France.
The shop also offers the recently viral Dubai Knafeh cookie at P130, as well as Biscoff, salted caramel, and chocolate chip-flavored cookies, each priced at P110.
For its rice meals, customers may opt for the milkfish, Hungarian sausage, or tapa options, which all come with your choice of eggs.
Beanstro is open daily from 12 pm to 7 pm, while the truck is set to reopen soon. – Rappler.com
Pierre dela Cruz is a Rappler intern from the University of Santo Tomas. He is a fourth-year student taking up Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
