"It all started out as a joke made by one of the owners about setting up a competing coffee shop right in front of a similar sounding coffee shop", shares Mark Seng, Kangaroo Coffee Company's Marketing Manager.
"For that particular person's birthday that year, we actually set up an 'al fresco' coffee bar in a vacant parking lot to surprise him. We borrowed a small espresso machine and everything had to be done manually, but we managed to do the basic cappuccinos and lattes for that event," Mark fondly recalls.
Afterwards, Mark's group began getting bookings for events in their church and friends' houses where they used the "Kangaroo" name.
By then, the name already stuck and later when they were deciding what to call their coffee shop, "Kangaroo" was the most reasonable alternative because it already had so much brand recall.
Passion for coffee
Mark says that he and his business partners opened Kangaroo because of their passion for good coffee, food, and conversation. For them, Kangaroo is an ideal venue to share their passion with others.
"All the partners contributed to the operations of Kangaroo. One of us has worked for an international coffee chain before. Another one has extensive experience in cooking and baking. Most of the other owners are also entrepreneurs themselves with their own businesses, and so they also bring their business acumen to the table", reveals the U.K.-educated Mark.
Mark recommends the White Chocolate Mocha (Espresso, steamed milk, and white chocolate topped with whipped cream, P85), Tsokolatte (Espresso with steamed fresh milk and native chocolate, P87) and Mangoes n' Cream (Philippine mango syrup in a sweet and creamy Kanga ice-blended delight, P90).
Kangaroo likewise encourages customers to "Customize Your Drink" where they can add espresso, flavors, whipped cream, and other garnishes to their regular drinks for a minimal cost. They have low-fat and decaf options, too.
"The vision of our coffee shop is to "Use Coffee to Inspire People". We aim to inspire them with our place, our products, and our people, so that they get a meaningful experience every time they come to our shop. We are also actively promoting Mindanao Fair Trade Coffee, which means that our coffee is bought at a sustainable price from local farmers", points out Mark.
Kid-friendly delights
It is not unusual to see children sitting alongside their parents at Kangaroo.
The coffee shop has kid-friendly Kanga Steamers such as Hot Choco Classic (P76), Native Hot Choco (P65) and Steamed Milk (P66) which one can try with their favorite flavored syrup.
Other Kanga Ice-Blended options are flavored, milky and caffeine-free drinks like Milk Vanilla (P77), Milk Caramel (P82) and Milk Chocolate (P84).
Moreover, Kangaroo's drinks are on the big size (12 and 16 oz.) so if parents want to share their kids' drink, just request for an extra cup.
Children are guaranteed to love the Belgian Chocolate Mousse (P90) Chips `n Dips (P90), Tuna Sandwich (P70), BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) Sandwich (P85), Choco Walnut Bar (P70), Cappuccino Bar (P60) and Revel Bar (P60). Kangaroo likewise has a Menu of the Day for Pasta and Drinks of the Month.
In addition, little ones will surely be fascinated with the "appearance latte art." Mark shares that this is a sign that the drink has been done properly.
The most common designs are heart and rosette. But, Mark adds that the designs are actually only limited to the barista's imagination. I was quite delighted with the creative barista's Casper (The Friendly Ghost) and fish interpretations.
A blend of brew and books
"Our lighting is brighter than most coffee shops because we have an in-house library for our customers who want to read our selection of books, magazines and newspapers, although we can dim the lights upon the customer's request. We also have free wi-fi internet access", announces Mark.
"The interiors were conceptualized with privacy in mind. The furniture is inspired by neo-classical design, the centerpiece being our wingback chairs," continues Mark whose family is in the home furnishings business.
As a welcome bonus, OMF Literature Bookshop is just beside the coffee shop.
Mark tells that OMF is the "country's largest publisher of Christian books which offers a wealth of resources for practical living, church and ministry references, family and relationship helps, devotionals, children's stories, and many others".
OMF Literature has recently marked its 50th year of "Publishing Truth, Shaping Generations," and is widely known for publishing bestsellers such as "The Purpose Driven Life," "This is My Story," and "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." It has bookshop branches in Cebu and Metro Manila.
Together, Kangaroo Coffee Company and OMF Literature Bookshop provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for Dabawenyo coffee and book lovers to slow down and stay a while.
Truly, a perfect blend of brew and books!
Special thanks to my brother Jasper Huang for the photos you see on this page.
Kangaroo Coffee Company and OMF Literature Bookshop officially opens today, May 10, 2008. Both are located at Ground Floor Mitaji Bldg., Tiongko cor. V. Mapa Sts., Davao City. Kangaroo Coffee Co. tel. no. 222-2ROO or 222-2766. OMF Literature Bookshop tel. no. 221-3416.
(E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.mom-about-town.blogspot.com.)
