• 7 months ago
ag.KAPI.ta is a coffee shop in the middle of a rice field located at Daang Kalikasan Road, Mangatarem, Pangasinan. You heard it, in the middle of a rice field. And what are these rice fields surrounded by? Mountains. So imagine the amount of fresh air you'd be breathing in as you enjoy their great-tasting coffee and pastries. Also, let's be honest. You want a coffee o'clock with the view. Well, ag.KAPI.ta will give you all these because the whole place is alfresco with cozy aesthetics. The café will definitely give you an Instagrammable coffee experience as well.

But hold on. Let's talk about the power couple who owns the place. Meet Mawi Rillorta Jr and Zelle Bendito, the tenacious entrepreneurial couple behind this already budding coffee business. It's a sad and painful reality that many people are struggling during this Covid-19 pandemic. But it's inspiring to hear that these entrepreneurs are pivoting for pandemic success. Listen in as they talk about their humble beginnings, determination, their love for coffee, the inspiration behind ag.KAPI.ta, the process of making their dream into reality, and more.

Director: Jean Saturnino
Assistant Director: Mart Francisco
Videographer: Fredmhars Yaneza
Researcher: Angella Joves
Editor: Mark Jesalva

Check them out:
https://www.facebook.com/agKAPItaa
Come for a coffee: Daang Kalikasan Mangatarem Pangasinan 2413

Real Stories, Real People is OG's new weekly series about ordinary (or maybe not) people sharing their stories of passion, challenges, life, success and the in-betweens. Catch us next week for another storytelling to charm you.

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Transcript
00:00 I'm a waiter at Sofitel, Spiral Buffet.
00:03 I told myself that someday, I'll have my own coffee machine and coffee shop.
00:08 We thought that the pandemic is a mental problem because we're just at home.
00:18 We're stressed at work because we can't see anything.
00:22 We don't have a beautiful view.
00:24 So, because of the pandemic, we thought of going outdoors.
00:29 That's why we thought of buying land here, a coffee shop.
00:36 We thought of doing it outdoors.
00:38 We opened the land and it really trended.
00:41 Before we started earning, we admitted that we can sail a boat.
00:51 They said that there's a lot of money in sailing a boat.
00:55 But it's hard. It's hard to get a job.
00:57 It's not for us.
00:59 That's why we started a small business until we opened a bazaar.
01:05 Our first business was a small business.
01:10 We made a way to go to Manila.
01:15 My first work was at Sofitel.
01:18 I was a waiter at Sofitel, Spiral Buffet.
01:21 I worked there for 6 months.
01:26 I thought that I wasn't good enough.
01:29 I wanted to be a waiter.
01:31 I wanted to work at the barista's coffee machine.
01:35 I would turn on the machine in the morning.
01:38 I would try it right away.
01:40 If there was an order for cappuccino, I would make it.
01:43 Even if I can't do it, I would have my own coffee machine and coffee shop.
01:50 We are coffee lovers.
01:55 When we travel abroad, we look for coffee shops that are trendy.
02:02 We got the idea of Ag Capita because it's an outdoor coffee shop.
02:07 It's minimalist.
02:08 It's in Japan.
02:10 We had a small budget.
02:14 It's not that easy to build a coffee shop.
02:18 We thought that we had a small budget.
02:21 But when we built it, we realized that we needed a big budget.
02:26 I thought that the budget was only P150,000.
02:29 It's not enough.
02:31 That's why it's our hardest work.
02:34 We built it because we wanted to achieve our dream.
02:38 We really pushed it until the end.
02:42 I don't call it a no choice because I saw that it's beautiful.
02:45 The result is beautiful.
02:47 You can see that our area is really small.
02:51 It's in the middle.
02:53 So, we really needed to elevate the land.
02:59 We built a lot of things, like a hill and stones.
03:03 The ingredients and materials that we will use in the coffee shop are not a joke.
03:08 We also made sure that our machine is standard.
03:11 We have a soft opening.
03:15 Our friends and people here support us a lot.
03:20 What's different from other coffee shops here, especially in Pangasinan,
03:27 is our venue and location.
03:29 Because of the pandemic, we needed to be outdoors.
03:34 The wind is fresh.
03:38 So, it's perfect for the pandemic.
03:43 We didn't expect that it will be completed.
03:47 We thought that it will be just a coffee shop.
03:51 But now, we have a coffee shop here.
03:54 That's why we are so happy.
03:56 There's a saying that goes, "The best place, the best location, and the best coffee."
04:03 It's always said that the location is beautiful.
04:07 The staff is accommodating.
04:10 The food is delicious.
04:13 Our bestseller in Ag Capita is our Green Tea Fusion.
04:18 Because aside from the delicious coffee,
04:21 our Green Tea Matcha is also good when you put it in a glass.
04:27 And our signature coffee.
04:29 Yes, our signature Batirol.
04:34 Imagine a business that you think will make you love it.
04:40 Do it.
04:41 How will you know if you won't try?
04:47 You will never know.
04:49 [Baptist Health South Florida]
04:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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