It's not the first time that I tried to work in coffee shops. My 'coffice' search started (and failed) in 2012. There weren't many coffee shops in Bulacan back then, and freelancing was unheard of. It was difficult to find a coffee shop that welcomed remote workers.
Fast forward to 2016. Entrepreneur Philippines now features freelancing/freelancers in its articles regularly. Independent contractors come up on Facebook from time to
time to share their stories and excitement for the entire world to
read. We're no longer unheard of. We're now a community that sparks
interest from people looking for jobs or looking into the option of
starting a service-based business from home. As for me, that's total
of 5 years in freelancing, and just very recently-- in Tuguegarao
City.
A lot has changed, but the question of
whether I will be able to find a coffee shop that will welcome me in
their place still stands. Prior to moving to Tuguegarao City, I found
a decent coffee shop that allowed me to work (and charge my netbook)
while I wait for Isha in school. Later on, she went to grade school
and we transferred her in a public school. I was unable to visit that
coffee shop again. With the promise of finding coffice gone, I set
out to work in many other food establishments, which was not a very
good idea since these places are high-traffic and their tables
fast-moving. I gave up on my search and settled to just work from
home all the time.
Moving to Tuguegarao City, the need for
an alternative to my home office came up again. The city, in all its
beauty, is modern and progressive. However, a power maintenance is
expected from its local electricity provider every week. We're out of
power from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM once a week. There are days when
Internet is slow, too. The connection is fast, but there are times
when it just slows down. Where do I go when these things happen? Next
to McDonald's (Awesome place to get work done, but high traffic at
certain times of the day), my best option are coffee shops.
Hospitality industry is big in
Tuguegarao City (with it being a tourist destination). You will find
plenty of hotels in its town plaza. In their lobbies are coffee
shops. There are standalone milk tea shops in town, which I plan to
visit as well. My interest, however; remained in coffee shops. Oh,
that coffice dream!
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| Hotel Lorita lobby |
Thankfully, I found a coffee shop near
St. Peter's Cathedral. It's in the lobby of Hotel Lorita; calls
itself, “The Frap Bar”. The place is simple, nothing
intimidating, but what I really loved about it is this;
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| Laptop Economy! |
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| The Frap Bar |
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Finally, I'm not the only one! It's
laptop economy/ coffee shop camping right before my eyes. There were
two guys who appeared to be working and a couple of students doing
their homework.
We occupied a 4-seater table just in
front of the baristas. They are nice, and are cool with me charging
my laptop in a nearby power outlet. Almost every corner of the place
has it. Everything about it screamed coffee shop camping!
Isha and Bunch ordered Chocolate
Overload and Chocolate Waffle. I ordered Dark Chocolate Tea, and
settled in my seat to get some work done. It was a relaxed workday. I
wasn't worried they will kick us out after we're done with our food
and drinks. The two other guys who were there before us didn't seem
to be in a rush. In fact, they stayed even after we left.
Bunch took care of Elisha while I work.
His research work can be done at home because it doesn't require fast
Internet. I do content creation, so I get to work where Internet is
fastest, and I'm lucky it's The Frap Bar's core strength.
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Isha busied herself with her crayons.
It's so much fun to see us 'co-working' like we used to. It may be
the place that inspired her to choose such a relaxing activity over
her usual 'I-brought-myself-toys-I-can-play-anywhere' activities.
When she chose to behave in the way she behaved in that coffee shop, I knew she has learned an important lesson. She wasn't like that in McDonald's, and I didn't
expect her to be. We're good for as long as I know she knows how to
behave appropriately wherever we take her. It's BIG CHECK on my
Freelancing Wahmmy goals. Made The Frap Bar literally the place
'Where Freelancing Meets Parenting'.
Ask me to rate The Frap Bar? I will be biased if I will rate them based on how they made me feel. I felt welcome, and it's a feeling I have not felt in coffee shops in a long time. It's an 8 (Food/Drinks & Customer Service considered), and we're definitely coming back.
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Ask me to rate The Frap Bar? I will be biased if I will rate them based on how they made me feel. I felt welcome, and it's a feeling I have not felt in coffee shops in a long time. It's an 8 (Food/Drinks & Customer Service considered), and we're definitely coming back.
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Happy Freelancing!
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