Walk into this coffee shop and you might second-guess yourself. Do they sell coffee or nuts and bolts? Resonate in Katipunan does indeed sell coffee, and you enjoy your drink in a café made to resemble a hardware store.
At both 33 years old, this is the second branch of the Resonate Coffee cafe, opened in November last year, of Wilbert Morada and Lorenz Santos. Let It B had the chance to sit down with them one afternoon for an interview.
Rugged, Rough, and Reused
The Brutalist interior design style with its rawness and ruggedness is one that the pair gravitate toward. Their first branch in Marikina is the same with its “unfinished” look, they share, and it’s especially evident in its cement finish walls with patches of white putty still visible.
With their second branch though, they decided to push it further and take it up a notch. Plus, this time, the furniture and décor are as authentic as it gets too. According to Wilbert and Lorenz, the repair and renovations of the space before it opened were nearly done when they stumbled upon, and consequently decided on, the hardware theme.
“Yung mga gamit para sa hardware, mga naiwan lang na gamit nung contractor namin ‘yan. Nung patapos na, bumisita kami tapos nakita namin yung mga gamit na nililigpit at nililinis nila. Sabi ko, ‘Wag mo kayang tapon ‘yan. Sayang. Gamitin na lang namin,’ says Lorenz.
And thus, the hardware theme for Resonate’s Katipunan branch was born. Workers’ benches became actual furniture for the café; made more stable, sanded down, and finished with a clear coat. Heavy-duty plastic storage boxes became coffee tables. Empty cement sacks are filled with coffee beans and made into décor.
Tying it all together is a custom “Resonate Hardware & Coffee Supplies” sign that sits above a tall and wide wooden shelf along the café’s back wall, greeting each customer that walks in. Punctuating the sign at either end are empty Boysen and Konstrukt plastic cans.
Out of all the leftover construction supplies and materials, we asked why they chose to have the Boysen cans next to their sign. Because that’s what pops up when a Pinoy thinks of the typical hardware store—a big store sign with a Boysen logo on it, says Lorenz. “’Yun siya talaga,” he adds. “Kaya naisip namin na itabi yung lata sa sign.”
Boysen was used for the paint on the walls of their kitchen and Konstrukt was used to get the faux cement finish look of the café.
Wilbert chimes in. “Atsaka yung tip box feel namin madaming naglalagay dahil Boysen din,” he says with a smile, referring to the 1 liter Boysen container repurposed as a tip jar on their register counter.
Built on Specialty Coffee
Wilbert and Lorenz didn’t really plan on creating a coffee shop with a hardware theme. It was a sort of happy coincidence, one that they feel lucky and grateful to find that other people are into as well.
It’s no surprise that they get a lot of titos through their doors. This makes sense to us as it’s a market that may feel a sense of ease and familiarity in the café and its hardware interiors. But, the pair are glad that they see a lot of titas and students, as well, appreciating both the interiors and the coffee.
Sure, the look of their café was important but their main focus has always been the coffee. “Sa simula, kinalimutan muna namin yung vibes nung shop. Focus namin ay sa menu. Gusto namin na babalik sila na dahil, ‘Uy, okay yung coffee,’” says Lorenz.
Focusing on specialty coffee, items on their menu are new to a lot of people, but that’s the point. Wilbert and Lorenz have a dream that more Pinoys discover specialty coffee and get to enjoy local cafés.
“‘Yun yung goal namin, na ipakilala sa mas madaming tao kung ano yung specialty coffee. And, gusto lang din namin na magkaroon sila ng knowledge about sa kape na iniinom nila. Parang, kung ano yung lasa ng coffee from Brazil compared sa coffee from Ethiopia or Kenya,” says Wilbert.
Adds Lorenz, “Actually dati wala masyadong nagtatanong na customer kung anong coffee yung nasa machine at kung anong coffee yung gamit namin. Ngayon, meron at meron na.”
Hardware stores take special orders. Now, order specialty coffee at Resonate along Katipunan. Local coffee shops with a lot of character and staffed with people who are passionate about what they do arguably make a better tambayan option anyway than any big international coffee shop chain. Would you agree?
If you liked this blog post, subscribe to the Let It B newsletter! We’ll send you a short and sweet email every week about paint, colors, and home interiors
