THERE is always time for a good cup of coffee to start or brighten up the day. It has become an essential for many people, especially students who need their daily shot of caffeine.
Ikina Café is the one-stop café everyone needs if they’re looking for affordable but high-quality meals. Whether guests are running late for a quick breakfast or want to grab a treat or two, Ikina Café has it all for them.
“Ikina” is a Japanese word that means “elegant taste” and what the café offers lives up to the name that it chose! Jese Manuel Canton, the owner of the café, started this business in 2018 and has always wanted to provide cheaper but high-quality alternatives when it comes to food and beverages.
“We offer brewed coffee that is very affordable,” he said. “We also offer other beverages such as milk tea and frappés.”
Ikina Café is the best place for those who need the right study space to get productive and into full academic mode, with wide tables where people can prop up their laptops and get ready to work and study as well as outlets for any devices that need charging.
Canton shared that he is very particular when it comes to the needs of students, and he ensures that Ikina is the right place for conducive learning. “We have to practice silence,” he said, “in the café, we play slow instrumental music that will not bother the students and will stimulate their learning.”
Aside from offering a great working environment, Ikina Café also has other amenities that allow students to relax. “We have a massage chair for students to use so they can stay awake and go back to working and studying,” he shared, “we try to cater to the needs of the students, and one of those needs is giving them the right environment for them to work on.”
Canton shares that he plans to expand the café and have the second floor renovated so students can have group study sessions and be able to focus more.
“We will also be providing shower rooms and lockers rooms, so that the students can freshen up,” Canton said.
Ikina Café is indeed the place to get everyone’s productive juices going without draining their pockets dry. It is located on Sanciangko street, across the University of San Carlos Gymnasium.