Imagine my joy when I went to this coffee shop and I didn’t have to remind the baristas to place my order in a glass cup with no plastic straw. In fact, Clean Beach Coffee reminds you and the other beach goers to remember your manners. With cute, thoughtful signs like using a tumbler instead of a paper cup for drinks on the go or buying a bamboo cup and straw near the counter where you order, this business definitely lives up to its name.
Located in 134 Beachfront Collective in Urbiz Garden Bed & Breakfast, it’s impossible not to grab my favorite iced mocha (if it’s midday and sunny) or hot cup of latte just before a morning surf. You could also hang around the beach front and feel the sand between your toes while enjoying a great cup of coffee.
Clean Beach has a simple menu that’s totally not intimidating and left me wanting my favorites almost everyday. I remember ordering the iced mocha for the first time, my tastebuds were screaming “more”! It wasn’t like the usual mocha drinks where I’d take a first sip and end up disappointed because I could taste a local premade milk drink (hello, Chuckie).
Clean Beach had generous bits of real chocolate (tasted like Malagos Chocolate, by the way) in the coffee that I just couldn’t stop drinking. Even if it tasted more like dessert, the coffee kick was in there because after a few minutes, I felt the familiar sensation of caffeine running through me.
What’s interesting is that during the first day of my stay in La Union, I met one of Clean Beach’s founders, Camille Pilar. Stoked to hear her speak Cebuano in a place where it’s mostly Tagalog, she was not hard to talk to. I secretly follow her on Instagram because she writes with honesty and that’s something that’s hard to find nowadays.
Camille has also been featured a lot lately especially with the growing movement of city dwellers looking for bluer waters and increasing awareness of the irresponsible use of plastic. In fact, Clean Beach Coffee should be the model to follow for other establishments around the country, most especially those who are located near the beaches. Adding that in their shop’s daily operations, they incorporate simple, sustainable habit-changing practices.
Saying goodbye to plastic straws forever, encouraging customers to bring their own containers for their drinks on the go because takeout cups still have plastic in them, and little thoughtful reminders to keep the beach clean by picking up trash – these seemingly small changes to how they operate on a day-to-day basis makes a big difference. Imagine if more businesses followed suit, the impact would be too hard to miss.
My friends know that I always get frustrated with certain cafes and restaurants in certain cities when I’d order coffee to drink inside their shop and they’d still serve it in 100% plastic containers, plastic lids and all. Obviously, it would be futile to return these items because it’s unhygienic to have the cafe reuse it for another customer but I make it a point to inform the staff to avoid handing out plastic when it’s only for dining inside.
Stop using plastic straws, bring your own metal or bamboo straw and containers if you need to drink your coffee elsewhere, remind the staff when you’re ordering to skip the straw and plastic containers and if they can just serve it in ceramic mugs, better! These little habits not only help reduce waste, it can help raise awareness. Small things done over repeatedly, in the long run, makes a big difference. Start today!
Oh, and whenever you’re in La Union, do stop by Clean Beach Coffee and order alongside your coffee, their desserts – any of them! They’re so good, you’ll want to order another.
Thank you, Ferina! Kita ta puhon! <3