Building a successful cafe business isn’t easy, but with the right people by your side – and the right tools and processes – you can build something special. That’s something Marc Gan, Franz Villanueva, Melvin Teves, and Jahnikka Baricuatro of Habits Coffee + Cocktail Bar know firsthand. Just eight months in, their café-and-cocktail concept along SK Complex in Bajada, Davao City, has quickly become one of the city’s go-to spots. And it’s all built on a foundation of friendship strengthened by smart, modern solutions that help them keep up.
Crafting coffee and cocktails around good company
Fueled by their habit of hanging out at coffee shops and going out for drinks together, the four friends wanted to combine the best of both worlds in one establishment. The result is Habits Coffee + Cocktail Bar, designed for barkadas just like them.
In the morning, they serve specialty coffee and Filipino comfort food. At night, it transforms into an intimate bar offering delicious craft cocktails.
“We built something to bring people together, whether it’s for morning coffee or maybe for an afternoon catch-up. That’s what we really wanted since there are just a few establishments like that here in Davao. We also started with the idea of creating a place that could transform from day to night. So, the interiors and the colors, the lighting, it transforms from a very bright atmosphere down to very intimate at night,” Marc shares.
More than fostering a culture of enjoying good company over quality food and drinks, what makes Habits Coffee + Cocktail Bar stand out is that it is the only establishment of its kind in Davao serving pastries shipped directly from Metro Manila. With pastries and treats from Café Mary Grace, Lord Stowe’s, Conti’s, and Lola Nena’s available in-store, they are able to fulfill a goal of bringing well-loved Manila favorites closer to the Davaoeño community.
That uniqueness drew people in fast. And with their loyal customer base growing faster than expected, the team had to adapt to some customer habits. Early on, they noticed that most of their guests preferred to pay cashless. With no formal payment system yet, they resorted to using their personal GCash QR codes, but it was a temporary fix that soon made tracking sales confusing.
“We really wanted a portal for an easier way of tracking finances and payments from customers, so that’s when we applied for GCash for Business,” recalls Marc.
After signing up, the team received a unique GCash QR code for the cafe, linked to their new GCash for Business account. This allowed them to accept payments into a separate wallet that would no longer mix with personal transactions. They also received the new GCash SoundPay device, an easy-to-carry device that provides instant voice confirmation for successful QR payments, which immediately helped speed up operations.
“The instant voice confirmation for every successful payment means we never miss a sale, and our customers love the convenience. It’s simple for our staff to use, and it helps keep our operations running smoothly,” Marc explains.
Today, Habits Coffee + Cocktail Bar utilizes three units of GCash SoundPay, which servers carry around with them for quicker payments, so that customers don’t have to go up to their counter to pay.
Grinding up for more opportunities
Despite accomplishing so much in a short amount of time, Habits Coffee + Cocktail Bar is just getting started. Apart from hosting brunch specials, pop-up and private functions, Franz shares that they are now exploring various partnerships and events. “We’ve gotten a little bit busier, because since we opened, different organizations are trying to collaborate with us, putting up some events here in our store,” he shares.
In just eight months, Marc, Franz, Melvin, and Jahnikka know that they’ve built something special. And while there are still challenges to tackle, they’re holding on to what matters most: their strong bond, shared passion, and the ease of smooth, seamless transactions powered by GCash for Business.
“GCash for Business made our lives easier. It’s one of the simplest ways to modernize a business, because these days, consumers expect new levels of convenience, especially when it comes to payments. Having GCash makes things really easier, and we believe it helps build trust as well,” they say.
If you’re a small business owner, GCash for Business offers simple ways to modernize how you manage payments so that you can focus on growing your business. Aside from GCash SoundPay and the GCash for Business Portal, the new GCash PocketPay is a recently-launched innovation made especially for MSMEs that turns their phone into a POS machine.
It enables business owners to use their Android NFC-enabled smartphone to accept credit card or debit card payments, track inventory and business transactions through the same phone, and get fast settlements for every payment.
Signing up for these solutions is as easy as 1-2-3!
- Create an account on the GCash for Business Portal. You can get started as a merchant using just your verified GCash account of at least 12 months to qualify for a Starter Plan.
- Order a GCash SoundPay device or GCash PocketPay.
- Wait for your email confirmation on your GCash SoundPay delivery, or download GCash Pocketpay on the Google Play Store.
For more information on how GCash helps empower businesses, visit GCash for Business.
