This blog post is dedicated to our most loyal customers and supporters.
Thank you for helping us keep the dream alive!
Without a retail space or an online shop, Manileños frequently use social media to connect with us. Often times they ask where they can get their hands on our coffee. Since we are still roasting in small quantities, we invite them for coffee and to meet up face-to-face. These are their stories.
Things we hear on Instagram:
@jen_fil: Let us know at once where to buy.. excited!
@gabbylacuesta: I need a top up! I am out
@jamespapaya: I want.
@ninefourlifestyle: @kalsadacoffee we are in love with your branding! We’d be honored to sample some coffee and feature you on our website!
@jurgenestanislao: @kalsadacoffee tell me more about your coffee
One of our recent repeat customers, Gabby, whom we have repeatedly turned to for business advice and tips on where to eat in Manila, is also a budding coffee geek. He is trying out the latest technologies to get the most from his daily dose, but he is also passionate about helping the local and doing something right for the Philippines.
When we asked Gabby why he buys our coffee, he said:
“I choose Kalsada coffee because their twin pursuits of great coffee and an ecologically, environmentally, and socially responsible business are truly sincere — most brands and companies that proclaim sustainability often fall short. Furthermore, I believe that the Philippines can be a great specialty coffee producing country, and Kalsada is determined and equipped to make this a reality.”
Luke purchasing jars 14, 15, and 16.
Another regular customer, Luke, has now purchased 16 jars of coffee from us! (I was imagining them stacked in the corner somewhere, but he says he gives many of them out as gifts.) A coffee lover and supporter of everything local, Luke has adapted well to Manila. You can find him most days riding his bamboo bike, being part of the hippest gallery openings, and you can count on him being the best dressed at the costume party.
Luke enjoys our coffee, because as he says:
“Kalsada and their partners do the hard work – long trips, remote farms, technical training, meticulous roasting – and I get excellent coffee that I feel good about drinking. “
As a business executive, Jong was consuming copious amounts of coffee to keep him going through the day, now that he has semi-retired, he has cut down his daily intake of coffee to one or two cups in the morning. However, that hasn’t stopped him from purchasing from us. He recently ordered 10 jars to bring to his next executive meeting. He sees our product as local, competitively priced, and agrees that it is of a superior quality than what he can purchase in the supermarket.
In addition to meeting up with customers for coffee, we also get to chat with them at our events and pop-ups. This is actually the primary reason why we have these types of events. Although we do earn some money, the number one benefit for us is getting to hear people’s response to the brand, the coffee, feedback on the flavor profiles, and in general getting to hear their story.
Sometimes I like to think of ourselves as coffee storytellers. We tell the story of the farmers to the consumers and the story of the consumers to the farmers. We are the link in the supply chain between these two very important groups. For us, relaying stories is a source of pride as well as pleasure. Join us on our journey, as there are more stories to come.