This Quezon City-Based Brewer Believes Good Coffee Shouldn’t Be Expensive

If the presence of small roaster kiosks is any indicator, coffee shops are all the rage these days. Just sweep a Makati neighborhood and you’ll find a handful of small shops selling nothing but a nice cup of java. This has not only given customers variety, but flexible price points that substitute the often-expensive offerings by established coffee chains.

Affordability is one half of local specialty coffee maker Cole&Co.’s recipe to success. The other half is making sure that their products’ quality remains consistent. Cole&Co. started as a stall at Rockwell Business Center in late 2018 before eventually moving to a delivery-based platform in Quezon City amid the pandemic. Owner Sara Sarmiento said her business was inspired by the small coffee shops in Japan: limited in space but functional and no-fuss.

Cole&Co.’s 250-milliliter coffee bottles start from P95 and do not go above P145.

“Affordable and quality coffee. This has been my stand since I started. Nothing too fancy, but also retaining the quality of ingredients and coffee in every bottle,” said Sara, who is a full-time professional photographer and a freelance art director.

Their best-seller Spanish Latte is a house specialty that blends espresso, condensed milk, and milk. For something sweet with a salty kick, Cole&Co.’s Salted Series is a must-add to your stash. It comprises Salted Caramel Mocha, Salted Latte, and Double Salted Caramel for P145 each. For non-caffeine drinkers, Cole&Co. has coffee-free Chocolate and Matcha flavors that retail for only P110.

“We make sure not to overpower the sweetness in our coffee so you can still enjoy the flavors of the espresso in every bottle,” Sara said.

Ensuring quality while keeping prices affordable is no easy feat, however, especially at a time when costs of raw materials are reaching new highs. “Even if there are challenges especially now with the rising costs of coffee, milk, shipping, [and others], I always make sure not to price our products too high so that anyone can still afford a good coffee.”

And while Cole&Co. has established its own following of coffee enthusiasts, there’s no resting on its laurels.

“Up until today, we continue to improve our products—the ingredients, the recipe, the packaging, the marketing. We always learn from our experiences, may it be from the work system, the reviews of our customers, we’d always want to learn from it.”

Now, Sara and Cole&Co. hope to re-open their physical store as the country tries to live with COVID-19 and the local F&B industry begins to recuperate its losses.

Cole&Co. is open for deliveries within Metro Manila and some parts of Rizal. They are also available for pick-up. Their drinks have a shelf life of three to four days (refrigerated), except for cold brew, which can last up to 10 days.

Visit Cole&Co.’s website to order their coffee, and follow their Instagram and Facebook to get the latest promos and other brand announcements.