Notice to the Public

* Starting next month (February), we will be increasing the prices of our food and drink items. This is due to the sudden price increase of syrups, sauces, and other ingredients from our supplier. We are also doing this to serve you better this year (kindat, kindat). 

* Only Php 5.00 will be added to all food and drink items. Php 10.00 will be added to Specialty Drinks and FoMs (see the complete Menu at http://cafeantonioelbi.blogspot.com)

* Since the arrival of our Frothiccino glasses and paper cups, we have really been serving you 20 ounce drinks, and not 16 ounce drinks (as it is written on the cup). So you are still getting value for your money when you buy an 80-Peso, 20 oz. Frothiccino.

* We really tried our best these past two years to maintain our insanely low prices. But times do change and the price increase of our sauces and syrups signaled our next step towards improvement. We hope you understand. Thank you very much.

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* On Wednesday, we will be having our first catering gig at Brent-IRRI. My nephew, Jethro, will be having a second birthday party at the school. The staff and I will be serving Blue Crush while Yummings Pastry Shop will be distributing their cupcakes. 

* If you want Cafe Antonio and Yummings to cater your event, just contact us at this number: 0917-3406945.

Forever and Always by Bullet for My Valentine Started My Week

Kudos to our friend, Kim (third from left), he just got married, way to go pare!

* Like the first week of January, the second week was just as long. The year, so far, has lived up to the hype. The sequence of events are quick. The developments are surprising. And lately, the blog entries are getting vague. Less about the cafe and more about the people in and at the cafe. To be more specific, more about the villagers living inside this blogger's head.

* Why do we plan ahead? Why do we plan ahead and see that plan get bumped along the way causing us to rewrite a new plan? Last week, I was in the middle of something grand. I was typing something in my laptop that would, uh let's say, change a lot of things, to put it simply. Then I'd receive news from some important person that would cause me to step on the breaks and stop what I was doing.

* I'm a very focused person. I plan ahead, I have a bunch of notebooks stuffed in my bag and my pockets, telling me what to do in the next hour, the next day, and so on. Yes, I plan my week. I could work in the military, if on-the-dot precision and execution are the necessary requirements. But a major flaw in my personality is my response to disturbance.Shake-ups in the plans I make.

* I get massive headaches every time a road block is in front of me. I get rattled easily. And that would not get me in the military for sure.

* Well I expect a lot of bumps along the way, I'll have lots of practice facing them this year. What's important is that we stay focused on what we have to do and not lose sight of our mission.

* This year, I'll look at my problems as opportunities for personal growth and not as hindrances to justify who I already am.

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* Yesterday, my friends and I, watched Avatar on IMAX at the SM Mall of Asia. That was a well-needed break from the stress I received last week. The same goes for my friends, we all needed an escape.We also watched Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious. The irony of it all is right now we're still recovering from our "gimik". We arrived at 2:30 in the morning. From the cafe, I went back to the apartment, to sleep for 3 hours, then here I am blogging away.

* Cafe news... we're still waiting for someone to invite us to a Barista competition. That would be cool.

* We would like to say thanks to our new customers, we noticed we have a lot of new faces these days. Thank you for trying our coffee, we hope you guys enjoy hanging out with us, listening to our senseless coffee bar stories.

* Please continue praying for us, we have a lot of stuff to do, Internet time has been reduced, and we're cooking up a lot of stuff right now. God bless everyone, God bless Elbi!

In "Coat-tations"

* Yesterday, while we were driving back home from Burger King early in the morning, Zadl, Vinci, and I (last Saturday's volunteer "Suited-Crew") reviewed the week we just had--the first week of the decade.

* Honestly, I am having a very difficult time right now trying to capture the gist of what has transpired last week. The week was very long, it felt like a long, stressful, and yet interesting month. I would wake up early every day not knowing why. Excitement, anxiety...it was a ball of emotions. A bouncing ball. I would find myself playing drums to the song "These Days" by Chantal Kreviazuk in the morning.

* My friends and I, we're in a stage of our lives where we're trying to find a lot of stuff. Right now my head is as blank as it is full. As organized as it is messed up.

* No, I'm not troubled, I'm not really lost. I feel more inspired and determined in a very 2010-kind-of-way. And yet the tone of what I am typing does not reflect what I feel inside. In contrast to most of my blog entries wherein my heart usually dictates the fingers that presses the keys. It's a free-flowing outpour of thoughts.

* The year and the decade, they arrived at the same time. The last time that happened, we were only kids. We were too young to appreciate and to understand the significance of this event.

* Most of you were wondering why we were wearing suits last Saturday. The simple explanation is...we just wanted to. Sometimes it's good to try things you haven't done before. Like wearing suits on an ordinary day.

* We've been here for almost two years. And the year 2009 was a very stable and secure year for us. I grew complacent and contented with what we've been doing as a coffee shop.

* But there's always a tiny voice in my head telling me that this isn't our best. I've always believed that mediocrity and complacency is a sin. And I know that each and everyone of us are meant to live for so much more (Switchfoot reference), so much more indeed.

* It doesn't end here. It doesn't stop here. I want to do my best in everything I do. And doing one's best always results to something good.

New Year, New Decade

* It was Sunday, January 3, and I was already at the cafe at 1 pm getting ready for our general cleaning. I was excited, it felt like we were preparing the cafe for our grand opening. But what was unusual about that day was the cast of people I was getting help from. Our friends Vinci and Zadl got their hands dirty and their feet wet as we scrubbed and washed everything in sight. Vinci did a great job with the refrigerators and Zadl also did well cleaning the blenders. Ate Marisse and Neil were also there to help.They sanitized our kitchen stuff cleaned the machines, and did most of the work in the kitchen area.

* Later that afternoon, our customers, Dan Sta. Romana and Mike Garcia, also went over to help out and then another customer, Budik of Marketwire, dropped by to celebrate the day's general cleaning after-party. Manong and Joyceann arrived just in time for our celebratory coffee.

* It was a great feeling, having accomplished a lot in such a short time. We really looked forward to just sitting at the cafe and drinking coffee all day. We were all waiting for that moment when things just got back to normal.   And looking at the people I'm with when we were celebrating and sipping our Americanos, I was amazed at the fact that most of these people were our customers who have stretched the meaning of the word "support". So thank you guys, that Sunday afternoon was very special for us all. Thank you for the love and support. And thank you for enduring 2 long weeks without drinking coffee that isn't Cafe Antonio!

* Monday. Our first day of the year. I woke up at 6 am and then decided to get up at 8 instead. I did some accounting stuff, do-lists, and all those tiny details that we need to clear out before the cafe opens. I took a nap then did errands at 11:30 am. We had our Bible Study at 2 pm with the staff plus Dan and Mike. It was my first time to lead a BS after a very long time. We were all in a reflective mood as we thanked God for the blessings He had given us and the challenges we have faced in 2009. 

* Last night we had a huge crowd. And we are very thankful for a strong first day for the cafe. We hope the days to come will be as good. We promise to serve you better this year! God bless everyone!