Trends and Spots

By Mini Zamora Arceo

New Cofi Acad! The new Coffee Academy branch at the lobby of AUF Medical Center, Angeles City.

She never thought that her sweet life will ever become sweeter. When she left government service in 2007, she took a risk in business that would eventually give her warmth and joy as well as financial benefits.

In a recent interview with the Flor I. Arrozal, the owner of Coffee Academy, NET@Fia and Essensa Spa, Punto found out that this young woman with three brilliant sons is very much enjoying her life as an entrepreneur. After three years away from public’s eye (she used to be an executive at the MPC-HUDCC-PPMO), Arrozal said she has no regrets in finding a new life with Coffee.

Among all her businesses, she gets elated about her Coffee. While I was   taking a sip of Coffee Academy’s delightful Café Mocha, she animatedly recalled how she found a new meaning in putting up the coffee bar and resto in 2007.

“When I decided to put up Coffee Academy, I did some research and study about the coffee industry. And I was very surprised to know that the Philippine Kape Barako is near extinction and our coffee industry, which 200 years ago was among the top five in the world, is fast dying. We are providing only .0012 percent of the world’s requirement for coffee,” she said.

Café Mocha

The reasons for this, she added are tough competition against imported beans and lack of support systems like infrastructure for coffee growers.

So she made it a point to support the local coffee growers and made Kape Barako as the main bean for Coffee Academy’s house blend.

“Our house blend is a concoction of quality beans, all four varieties, locally grown in the Sagada mountains and highlands of Cavite and Batangas. Roasted into perfection and patented for the Coffee Academy. Culinary Exchange is preparing the blend for us. Our syrups and sauces are made from 100 percent sugar cane with no artificial flavouring. We could be among the very few coffee bar which uses Da Vinci Sauces and Syrups, which are made from pure sugar extracts,” she said.

Today, Coffee Academy, which main bar is in Balibago, is already a household name for Angelenos. In a very short span of time, the coffee bar grew in leaps and soon will have another branch in Sindalan, City of San Fernando. Arrozal said the new bar will open by June.

Blackforest Frappe. Coffee Academy’s bestseller

Coffee Academy’s success can be attributed to its finest bestsellers made from the coffee bar’s patented house blend. Café Mocha is an espresso-based chocolate served hot for espresso lovers while the Black Forest is an ice-blended espresso-based frappe. And since Coffee Academy is for the whole family, it serves a non-coffee ice blend Cookies and Cream for children with sweet tooth.

The coffee bar had already expanded its menu. They are now serving sisig, crispy pata, pancit guisado, pansit bihon and other meals the family can enjoy. “Before, customers will dine first somewhere else before going to Coffee Academy for a coffee siesta. But now, they can dine and enjoy the coffee in same place,” Arrozal said.

Also, Coffee Academy’s clientele grew fast because of its 24/7 service. No other coffee bar and resto in the city is open 24 hours a day. Most of the people staying inside Clark Freeport Zone stay at the Coffee Academy, especially during wee hours of the night when all the entertainment establishments in Clark we closed.

“This is our greatest edge. We are 24/7 and we have free WIFI access. Most of our customers are professionals, businessmen and even students. They love the place because they know they can rely on us when they need a place to work or to stay during the wee hours of the day,” she said.

Coffee Academy has another branch at the lobby of Angeles University Foundation Medical Center in Angeles City. You can relax and enjoy the coffee with piano accompaniment during Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. AUF cultural director and art master Sir Boron plays the piano for the hospital residents and Coffee Academy family on the said days.

So next time you think of coffee, cookies, meals and WIFI, try Coffee Academy. The main bar is located in Balibago, Angeles City in front of Marlim Mansions.