In a world filled with coffee shops. How do you make yours stand out? For Coffee and Comics, the answer was simple: cater to your tribe.
Coffee and Comics and its sister The Tiny Bar are located on the second floor of a compound along Panay Avenue in QC, behind Fisher Mall. It’s a bit hard to find at first, which is kind of the point, according to LC de Leon, who owns the joint along with his brothers Marco and Ciro, as well as other partners. The cafe is kind of a IYKYK type of place that has ample free parking.
“Coffee and Comics is... a comic book store and hobby shop with a coffee bar inside. It also acts as a photography, video and podcast studio. We have pro lighting equipment and cameras ready to use, and pull out chroma screens. It’s a place to work, read, and write while enjoying great coffee,” de Leon said.
The cafe is linked to The Tiny Bar, a bar that de Leion says takes inspiration from NPR’s (National Public Radio) Tiny Desk Concerts, where musicians are invited to play music at the NPR office. The bar doubles as an audio and video recording studio that serves drinks as early as 2 p.m. “Both establishments are sound proofed, further [acting] as an overall creative content studio wherein you can hang out, have coffee and drink alcoholic beverages.”
The cafe gives off a very 90s indie geek den vibe. The walls are lined with comic book posters and memorabilia. There’s a shelf of classic 90s comics and display cabinets of collectibles for sale, which also act as the backdrop for the Coffee and Comics podcast, which de Leon hosts.
“It’s a show that centers more on the creators of the comics, toys, books and other stuff usually related to the world of comics. [It] delves into the whys than the hows of the creation process, the history, the vision of every writer, artist, designer, and so on,” de leon said, adding that the podcast is also there to “get people to head to the cafe/shop/bar and simply enjoy a creative space.” Guests have included filmmaker and award-winning comic book writer Jay Ignacio and stand up comedian Mike Unson, who also hosts comedy nights in the bar.
Coffee-based drinks are made using a Flair espresso machine, where the coffee is manually pressed, giving new meaning to the term ‘hand pulled.’ Other menu items include really thick hot chocolate, brewed iced tea, and homemade waffles, which have flavors like S’more waffles and grilled cheese pork floss waffles—a bestseller. There’s also bar chow like tinapa pizza and fried spring rolls.
Coffee and Comics indulges in a nostalgia that wasn’t available in mainstream Philippine culture in the 90s, that of a cozy and safe space for people who had what back then was considered weird tastes, but are now thought of as mainstream—coffee, comics, anime, toys, music, and other forms of geekery.
“We know what we are building might not be for everyone,” de Leon said. “As [far as] finances are concerned, that might not be a good business plan, but we wanted a place we also want to hang out in—an extension of our home—with like-minded peeps, so we opted to get a place that we [could] build [a community around].”
Fancy a drink at 2 p.m., anyone?
Photos courtesy of LC de Leon