LOOK: A Cafe That’s Also A Furniture Store
Have you ever wanted to buy the chair that you sat on in a café? This coffee shop offers just that.
Along the peaceful side of Katipunan Avenue is a café that looks and feels like it came out of novel dreamed up by a Millennial-writer-coffee lover. Welcome to Cup Fiction, a unique café co-owned by couple-friends Saab Magalona-Bacarro and Jim Bacarro, and Kristia and Paolo Roco.
Like the first page of a good book, Cup Fiction opened its doors quietly on September 2016. But it wasn’t long before it got a bit of buzz—students and office folks along with couples and White Plains residents flocked to it to have their daily cup and soak in the cool ambiance. Give it a go yourself—here are five things you will experience once you step into Cup Fiction:
Its delectable offerings
Cup Fiction serves coffee that is sourced from one of the country’s best roasters. “We feature artisan coffee from YKW EDSA beverage design group.” Says Kristia. Pair your delicious cup of Joe with comfort food such as “Johnny Hash” corned beef or “The Kerouac” American breakfast from a menu collaborated with Chef Sabrina Gan.A cozy and delightful atmosphere
Kristia explains that they wanted Cup Fiction to become a place where people can get together, like in a friend’s living room. “We wanted it to be like an extension of our living room, where we can have a good cup of coffee, read our favorite book or have great conversations with our friends.” She says. The café gives off a warm feeling—a place where you can just chill and lounge—the perfect place for cocol (“coffee-coffee-lang”).
Its hip, industrial-cool interiors
The coffee shop’s interior is designed with an industrial theme. Having bare concrete for the walls and floors, with accents of wood and painted white bricks, twinkled with filament LED bulbs that hang on top of a bar that offsets its floor-to-ceiling window. The furniture, however, showcases a different style. Tables and chairs are mixed-and-matched, but all are designed Scandinavian-inspired.
A furniture store within the café
Inside or beside Cup Fiction—depending on how you look at it—is a furniture store called Furniture Therapy. All the midcentury-modern-inspired furniture used in the café is sold through Furniture Therapy. When asked why have different brands in one location, Kristia answers: “What better way to display/sell furniture than to feature them in a cafe where people can actually use and sit on them!”
It’s a home to local artists, book lovers, and art enthusiasts
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves dominate one side of the café. It displays a collection of books, comics, and graphic novels that customers can buy right there. Saab and Jim are artists as well, Cup Fiction aims to promote the local talents and have their own place where they can showcase their works and are available for purchase. “We provide a space where they can sell their work and we also hold events from time to time to promote them.” Kristia says. The Cup Fiction website also serves as an virtual, online, “open-mike” venue for anyone to submit their poetry, artwork, or random literary musings.
Cup Fiction is located at 141 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. Follow them on Facebook for more updates. Check out Furniture Therapy’s Facebook for more information on how you can purchase their sleek furniture. Or get in touch via email at furnituretherapy[at]gmail.com
