Welcome 2009!

drawings by Jabez
Music: Gotta Have You by The Weepies

watch more Cafe Antonio commercials and videos at http://youtube.com/cafeantonioelbi or at http://cafeantonioelbi.multiply.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Holiday...

The cafe's closed from December 24 to January 4, 2009. We will be seeing you again on January 5! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

It's Christmas and We Need a Break!

Last week was both fun and very stressful. Although we've already anticipated December to be extremely busy, we didn't expect that it would be THAT busy. The first three days were a rush for all of us. Last Wednesday, when our loyal customer Eric and his band (Peter on vocals and Mark on percussion), performed a 1-hour acoustic set at the cafe, our sales haven't reached the 4K mark yet by the end of the gig at 11pm. We didn't expect much that day since the gig was on the same day as IC's Christmas party--an event where almost every UPLB gimikero/gimikera attends. To our surprise, in the last two hours our sales doubled in a snap, leaving the kitchen looking like UPLB after Milenyo. Customers chilled until 3 AM. That was extremely cool.

As for next week, of course we're closed on the Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. We are not yet sure if we would open on the 26th onwards. We're still waiting for the go-signal from our bosses in Dumaguete. We're requesting a 1-week break until New Year, giving us enough time to go back to our families, rest, and recharge for the start of 2009. We'll keep you guys posted.

Christmas is this week! To our loyal customers and friends, we hope you liked the Christmas greeting cards we sent you. This is the cafe's first Christmas and we would like to thank everybody for making the season memorable for all of us.

Jesus is the reason for the season, Merry Christmas!

A Successful Teachers' Day Run & the Cafe's First Loyalty Mug Holder

Jomar Rabajante

Ahh Teachers' Day...an activity conceived by a group of DevCom instructors where UPLB instructors and professors would wear aprons, hold trays, and serve their students and co-faculty for 3 hours... what a brilliant idea, thanks to you guys (Sherwin, Aldo, and Candy,haha!) The activity was a box-office hit. Who would have thought that Jomar Rabajante of CAS and Butch Bataller of CEAT are that popular and would go head-to-head in bringing the most number of customers in a single day?

Jomar set the bar high for Butch bringing with him his army of loyal Math 17 students, SAM-UP and Navigators orgmates, and co-faculty last Monday. The cafe had its highest sales for a Monday since OPENING day. Congratulations to you Jomar, everybody enjoyed your bussing skills (Bussing skills? Is that even a word?)

Butch Battaller

The following day, the confident Butch came to the cafe in full attire, complete with black vest and his trademark skinny jeans. He was a force to be reckoned with as he asked for an extension of working hours until 9 pm or 10 pm to accommodate his co-faculty . Although Butch also attracted a battalion of people, it was still Jomar who raked in the highest sales and drawn the most traffic.

Teachers' Day was a success, we hope we could do it again next year. Start volunteering your teachers or colleagues and we'll arrange for another run next semester. Thanks to everyone who came, especially to those who won gift packs! We hope you enjoyed your time at the cafe.

Jeg delos Reyes with Jabez

Congratulations to our first Ako'ng Cafe Antonio Loyalty Mug Holder, Jeg delos Reyes of Biñan, Laguna! Jeg is our graphic artist and is one half of the Azzul Grapika Design Studio duo. Drinking 3 coffee-based drinks a day, Jeg stays at the cafe all day just to complete his loyalty card and get his mug. Siya ay adik talaga, mali na. His Loyalty Mug entitles him to get free drinks and big discounts during Cafe Antonio - Los Baños promos. Congrats to you pare!

Acoustic Gig!
Tomorrow the cafe will be featuring former guitarist of UPLB acoustic group (back in the KA days), Soundhole, Eric, peforming live with his friends. Show starts at 10 pm. We invite you all to come!

We're "Almost Famous" in Entrepreneur Magazine!

FEATURE

Last Tuesday, while I was waiting for my 7 pm shift, I went to the Book Sale beside PCBS to read some magazines. I was looking for the Geek Magazine Rainn Wilson issue, instead I saw Duffy on the cover of Spin just plain lying on the pile of magazines. I picked it up and grabbed a copy of TV Guide as well. It's been a long while since I've bought my usual batch of used magazines (which I use to entertain myself due to our apartment's boob tube deficiency).

I told the guy at the counter (whom I think is the owner of the establishment) that I would just go to the ATM and withdraw some cash. The ATM was temporarily unavailable so I went back and told the owner to reserve the magazines for me.

The next day I went back to the Book Sale and noticed stacks of newly arrived mags. I paid for my reserved mags and asked the owner if they already have a December issue of Entrepreneur magazine. He said yes and that made me pee my pants (well not really, but it would be cool if I did). The magazine costs 125 pesos and I didn't have enough money so I asked the owner if I could just open the plastic and see if we were already at the back of the mag. I asked him, "Can I just take a look and see if we're already in the issue?" He said I had to buy it so I told him I would just take a look-see then pay later. And woaaahh!!! I saw a picture of Joyce and I at the Almost Famous section at the back of the magazine! I had no pimples!

I went back to my favorite ATM at Anest to withdraw from my malignant savings account then bought 2 copies of Entrep. The owner was really impressed as he told me he already read the article. I said, "Yeah, amazing, the cafe's only there across the street..." He gave me back issues of Yes!, OK!, Preview, and Men's Health which really surprised me so I gave him a free Hazelnut Latte in return. Thank you sir, whoever you are!

We already framed the article and displayed it at the cafe. The feeling was surreal, it was really my dream to be featured in that magazine, it was Entrepreneur that inspired me to be an entrepreneur.

What's more amazing is that we already appeared in another major publication in just 5 months (the first one was in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 6, 2008) and we'll be only turning 8 months this December.

Amazing grace. That's all I can say. A very classic example of how God can twist your dream plan and turn it into something better.

Joyce and I would like to say thanks to our Dumaguete family for their support, our amazing Canton staff, our families, and our hardcore customers who never cease to be hardcore. Major thanks to Cindy Escobin, the writer of the article, for doing a great job.

NEWS

December 8 and 9 is Teachers' Day once again. See Jomar Rabajante of CAS in action on Monday and emo frontman turned CEAT instructor Butch Bataller on Tuesday, 5 pm to 8 pm at the cafe. Be sure to avail of our gift packs when you purchase at least 350 pesos worth of food and beverages.

The first week of the Ako'ng Cafe Antonio Loyalty Program was off to a hot start, some customers already racked up 6 and up to as high as 8 signatures in 6 days! Thanks to Kuya Rodel and Drew of Koinonia.com for printing our first bacth of mugs. Don't forget your cards!

NEW PASTRIES

A bigger version of Elbi Pie (the real pie not the play) is available at the cafe for only 30 pesos. Sweet Indulgence have already mixed the strawberries and blueberries into the pie so you could enjoy both in one bite. (http://yummings.blogspot.com/)

BLOG READERS' EXCLUSIVE

We have a bottle of Dark Choco Sauce at the bar, be sure to request for it for your drinks. Sshh!

FREE CAFE ANTONIO WALLPAPER DOWNLOAD

Available at http://azzulgrapika.blogspot.com

Cool December Nights ...

December 1 & 2...very busy! December marks the start of our Loyalty Program, so you better start bringing your cards so we can sign it. Twenty drinks entitles you to an exclusive black mug which you can use for amazing discounts and promos. Here's an example: if you're a Loyalty Mug holder, you can get a free drink of your choice if you can get your friends to come along with you and order one drink each. We are still polishing the mechanics of the promo, but that sounds cool right?!

If you don't have a loyalty card yet, just ask for one at the counter.

We got our industrial blender back last Monday and our December supplies also arrived on the same day. That's a good start for all of us!

We would like to say thank you and congratulations to our Teachers' Day participants Therese Medina of CAS (Dec. 1) and Aldo Lim of CDC (Dec. 2). They both did an amazing job as busboys at the cafe for 3 hours! Thanks also for the people you brought along at the cafe. Next week (December 8 and 9), Jomar Rabajante of CAS and Butch Bataller of CEAT will be our guest busboys. Be sure to come, especially if you are their students! We are giving away gift packs to those who purchase a minimum order of 350 pesos.





We also had our staff pictorial for our Christmas Greeting Card last Monday. Everybody was there except for Ate Vivian. Dan took our pictures. We will be giving away these cards to our loyal customers.



Sweet Indulgence, our pastries concessionaire, sold Elbi Pies at the DL Umali Auditorium before the showing of ELBI PIE (mas pinasarap na icebag). The pies were an instant hit! They will be selling pies again on Thursday. Elbi Pie (Php 15) is available in strawberry and blueberry flavors.
View the pictures at www.yummings.blogspot.com or www.cafeantonioelbi.multiply.com.