Spreading Love through Indulgence

In the world of business, earning profit to fulfill both wants and needs always seems to be the main driving force on why most people work twice or even thrice as hard. But nowadays this couldn’t be further from the truth. In response to the crisis that has recently fallen upon the economy, support, collaboration and camaraderie have never been more ever present. One shop serves as a testament that genuine customer fulfillment is enough reason to give maximum effort towards the job and that working hand-in-hand with other small shops can drive one's own business forward--Brew Lounge.

Meet Japhlet Aranas, a nurse by day and business owner of Brew Lounge by night, proudly thrives in a busy working environment. Making an impact on other people’s lives has been his greatest motivation in giving his hundred percent whether it’d be helping out a patient in need or serving the best coffee to a customer who is having a bad day. Making a difference has been one of the things Japhlet lives for and it’s no wonder that one could see that value translated to a delicious cup of coffee when they go to his shop.

Brew Lounge is a coffee and boba shop that highlights Filipino flavors offering drinks such as Calamansi Juice with Lychee Jelly, and a lot of assorted Ube infused refreshments such as Iced Ube Latte, Ube Macapuno Milk Tea, and Frozen Ubechata. This shop is all about spreading awareness that there is diversity in flavors by introducing the Filipino taste to its customers. As far as anyone is concerned, many of their customers responded greatly to their products as they keep coming back for more.

While its aim is to spread awareness about Filipino flavors, Brew Lounge exceeds your usual coffee shop as they provide an outreach to the community through their events. Japhlet believes in collaborating with other groups and small businesses and that they should also be given a chance to promote what they have worked hard for. With that idea they’ve opened their doors to small brands and businesses who would like to hold their product sales, pop-ups, and events inside their space. This action has made its impact on the community as Japhlet recalls “small business love has never been so big until the pandemic started. That's when people realized that, ‘hey, maybe we SHOULD support the smaller folks.’” By occasionally holding events and sharing their space with other small businesses, they encourage others to go out and support the small businesses around them as well. 

Initially, Japhlet and his business partner Aleks Hrnjak, wanted to start a business as a form of escape from their everyday lives and careers. What was once an outlet that started in 2019, Brew Lounge soon grew traction and they would find themselves hearing random strangers talk about and praise their establishment in public settings. “We took that to heart and worked harder than ever to make it a reality,” he shares. 

Truly, Brew Lounge provides love and appreciation to their customers. Japhlet shares that by establishing a genuine connection with their customers, it forms a strong trust and bond that makes them come back for more. “We like to know our customers on a first name basis. We want to greet you as we've seen you walk through our doors several times before. We're not just here to make profit. We're here to spread the love in the form of indulgence,” he shares. 

But just like any other business, Brew Lounge too has struggled and survived and with those experiences it gave Japhlet and his business partner new perspectives when it comes to managing their brand. He underscored that it’s important to “reciprocate the appreciation that your customers give to you. Being a good person goes both ways, and we believe a business should act similarly. We have expressed the hardship that last year has provided. The community around us made it a point to support the small businesses to keep their doors open. We appreciate every ounce of support that they have shown to us. To this day, we show them our appreciation that no monetary value can even touch.” Apart from that, Japhlet shares that when it comes to running any business, one should always make time for themselves. It's easy to get lost in the industry especially when things feel like it’s a race to be the best, but valuing one’s time with friends and family makes a lot of difference. Taking care of one’s mental health is just as important as taking care of the business.

With the way things are going for the brand, an inevitable expansion may soon be in the works. “We are currently in the works to create a larger, more modern lounge space that will provide more of what Brew Lounge has to offer. We want more space and more room for activities. Events will only become more frequent of a thing, so we need to accommodate that as soon as possible!” Japhlet excitedly shares. Truly a well-deserved achievement for a coffee and boba lounge who not only serves flavourful drinks but also takes community involvement to heart and to the forefront of its business.

For inquiries shoot them a DM on Instagram @brew.lounge. Follow their Facebook page www.facebook.com/brew.lounge, or head over to their website www.brew-lounge.com!