Family sets up mobile coffee shop in Imus
Since the lockdown started in March 2020, many of us have had to find ways to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. For a family in Imus, Cavite, setting up a mobile coffee shop has become both a source of income and inspiration in these trying times.
John Eric Enopia, a coffee roaster and a sales and technical specialist, and his family came up with an idea to sell coffee and pastries online in May 2020, two months after the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) began. But aside from setting up the shop to gain extra income, they also chose to donate 10% of their proceeds to organization Save the Children Philippines.
The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew has already donated up to P32,000 (~USD658) to charity
Image credit: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew, John Eric Enopia
While the shop which Enopia named The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew was started as an online business, he decided to move it to a physical but mobile shop in August 2020 when the quarantines were more relaxed.
To date, The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew, which started with capital of only P5,000 (~USD103), has not only turned a profit with the support of the Imus locals, it has managed to donate a total of P31,115 (~USD640) – a portion of their proceeds – to Save the Children Philippines’ Project ARAL, which aims to help underprivileged children continue to access educational materials during the pandemic so they can keep learning.
Image credit: John Eric Enopia
“It’s not about how small or big your business is. It’s about your [heart], and your willingness to help,” Enopia said in a Facebook post.
Enopia and his wife manage the shop, while their kids oversee the donations
Image credit: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew
With his expertise in coffee, Enopia is in charge of brewing the coffee they serve around Cavite.
Image credit: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew
The beverages include pour-over coffee from Benguet (P65, ~USD1.34), iced coffee (P90, ~USD1.85) and Iced Spanish Latte (P130, ~USD2.68).
He also takes care of baking the shop’s pastries which include items such as creamy cassava cake (P60, ~USD1.24) and chocolate cookie (P30 per piece, ~USD0.62).
Image adapted from: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew, The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew
Sheng, Enopia’s wife, manages the accounting side of their small business, while their two kids are happy to oversee the donations coming in for the Save the Children Philippines, as reported by Inquirer.
The pop-up shop is currently serving bikers at Victoria Bike Trail
Image credit: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew
Currently, The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew is serving bikers who frequent Victoria Bike Trail at F. Manalo cor Salud Rd., Alapan 2-B, Imus City, Cavite. If you’re in the area, you can visit the shop on Saturdays and Sundays.
Image credit: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew
It is not clear how long the mobile coffee shop will be operating from this location, but if you do drop by soon enough, you may be treated to some live music if you’re lucky, as sometimes, Enopia also invites his friends who used to perform in restobars to serenade his shop’s customers.
Mobile coffee shop donates part of proceeds to charity
We can indeed learn something from the Enopia family’s initiative in the pandemic. Not only are they finding ways to earn extra income for themselves, they are also sharing their blessings with children who are in need by donating to Save the Children Philippines’ Project ARAL.
Here’s to hoping that more and more small businesses will follow The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew’s example by donating part of their proceeds to a charitable cause.
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Cover image adapted from: The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew, The Cooking Dad Bake & Brew