THERE’S a charming neighborhood café that one must visit in the south of Davao City. If you are reading this and haven’t visited Coffee By The Way yet, then this is your sign.

It is actually more than just a typical café that we usually see in the city. Nestled in a cozy, tranquil, nature-surrounded property at Purok 2, Tacunan, Davao City, this café is becoming a favorite spot for coffee, tea, and food lovers.

“It has been a year in May that we opened the doors of our humble property to the public. And we are very overwhelmed by the response that we received from our customers,” Niptalez “Jeejee ‘’ Nuñez Avena, owner of the cafe shared in an interview with SunStar Davao.

She added it is such a joy that her family’s passion project is now a full-blown business that is sustaining on its own in terms of its financial requirements to operate.

Its frequent customers are usually from their neighboring subdivisions as the café is located near Catalunan Grande, Mintal, Tacunan, and even Tugbok area. But she also said that even those from the north and downtown area visit their place as they’re curious about the café.

How it started

Avena said they initially just wanted to have a sanctuary for small gatherings of family and friends.

“But realizing that nothing beats digging into good food and coffee, my family thought of creating a space that does not only function as a chill place for us but can also hold people together for an outstanding

gastronomic experience. Hence, part of the area was converted into a café,” she said.

She narrated that the design concept of the cafe revolves around repurposed materials, taken from one of the family’s first aluminum trucks, combined with some sustainable materials that made what Coffee By the Way is now.

In just a year of operations, the homegrown brand is now raking awards from National Customers’ Choice Annual Awards 2022-2023 as Outstanding Rustic Nature-Themed Resto Café in Davao City and Q Asia Magazine as Best Rustic-Themed Resto Café in Davao City.

“My dream for this café is to make it our family legacy. I wish the next generations to also witness this. I have two kids and one granddaughter now. I even sometimes talk to my apo, she’s only three months old, that hopefully someday she will manage this as this will be hers in the future,” she said.

What’s new

In time for its first-anniversary celebration on May 25, Coffee By The Way launched its “Afternoon Tea Party” package giving Dabawenyos a new experience to try.

It comes with a complete tea party set at a cozy, tranquil, nature-surrounded property.

“I’m really into tea because we grew up drinking tea. Tea fascinates me. I wanted to introduce the tea experience more, especially in Davao City as there are only a few cafes and restaurants here that offer a tea party experience,” Avena shared.

The tea lover also said that aside from known healthy benefits, drinking tea also has an etiquette that she gladly shares with her customers every time they avail of the package to maximize the whole experience.

The Afternoon Tea Party set comes with a tea party set-up by the pool or at the Chateau; two jars of tea leaf; French macaroons; cookies; croffles; chocolate fondue set.

Coffee By The Way offers eight variants of loose-leaf tea like Peppermint, Hibiscus, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Genmaicha, Butterfly Pea, and more.

For interested tea lovers, pre-booking is encouraged. The tea party package is suitable for six people, however, an additional of two persons is allowed with a corresponding fee.

“We really want our customers to have a worthwhile experience when they choose to dine and chill here. They can have coffee, drinks, tea, meals, and even evening cocktails while basking in a unique and rustic-themed place we passionately planned for them,” she said.

Coffee By The Way is open from 3-11 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays and 7- 10 a.m.; 3-11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. They are closed every Monday.