Rondel Olarte, 37, is currently managing Kape Umali, the first coffee shop in Baguio. The shop, which was established by her grandmother in 1948 in Shangri-La Village along Asin Road, offers espresso-based latte, cappuccino, Americano, macchiato and mocha.
“It’s coffee from earth to cup. But we also provide coffee seedlings for farmers and give coffee 101 seminars and consultations for farmers, cafe owners and baristas,” says Olarte.
He says the coffee shop aims to excite customers by serving premium quality coffee, espresso beverage and coffee cocktails with the traditional Filipino touch.
“Growing up, I was exposed to the coffee industry at an early age as I recall from the stories my family told me and to some accounts from relatives and business colleagues. In 1948 after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Arsenia Umali fled Lipa, Batangas with her only son Alberto Umali Olarte—my father to the highlands of Baguio City,” Olarte says.
