Big things start with something small—like a cup of coffee shared among friends. That's exactly how Princess Potot’s 3rdfloorespresso Cafe in Butuan City began. In just three years, her rooftop cafe has become a local favorite for its scenic views, flavorful drinks, and hearty food.
While working for her family’s business, Princess decided to renovate her office and added a simple household coffee machine as a “final touch” to her new space. That seemingly small addition turned into a daily ritual, with Princess brewing coffee for her colleagues during breaks, and before long, everyone was hooked.
They enjoyed her coffee so much that they encouraged her to start selling her brews. Armed with a background in strategic planning, branding, and customer engagement, Princess saw the potential of the idea and launched an online coffee business in 2022, right in the middle of the pandemic.
It became an instant hit, with customers clamoring for her to offer a dine-in experience. When pandemic restrictions loosened up, Princess set her sights on doing just that. She found a third-floor rooftop space and opened 3rdfloorespresso Cafe.
“The same household coffee machine I used for my daily routine in the office was the very first equipment I used to start 3rdfloorespresso," shared Princess. “However, since it was a household machine and our community grew rapidly—dispensing about 150 to 175 cups a day—it eventually gave up. That’s when I decided to upgrade and invest in a commercial espresso machine to keep up with the demand.”
Aside from investing in better equipment, she also looked to invest in better tools to manage the business. In its early days, she would offer cashless transactions through the use of her personal GCash QR code. While convenient at first, it quickly became difficult for them to record transactions, as the cafe’s funds and her personal funds were all placed in one account.
“Luckily, my friend knows an agent sa GCash for Business. I told him, ‘Lapit mo naman ako kasi kailangan ko. Meron akong QR for GCash, but it's personal.’ So, what happens is that it's connected to my personal money, which is a long process when it comes to recording, accounting because you have to go through one transaction to another transaction, and then, your personal transactions are mixed up - yun yung mahirap,” she recalled.
The process was fast and from that point on, managing transactions became much easier. Having a dedicated QR code for the cafe streamlined payments, especially with the use of the new GCash SoundPay. This easy-to-carry device provides instant, automated audio payment confirmation. Customers simply need to scan a QR code to pay, and an instant voice notification confirms if the transaction is successful.
Paying with GCash also gave customers the option to pay for their orders with GCredit, the revolving credit line in the GCash app powered by CIMB Bank, and GLoan, a personal cash loan feature that lets you borrow instantly up to P150,000.
“Natuwa ung customers. They were happy, especially those who [were] raising their credit score,” she explained.
Another game-changer for Princess was gaining access to the new GCash for Business Portal, a simple, easy-to-use payments tracker and management system with no wallet limit when receiving customer cashless payments and no transaction fee for supplier cashless payments.
“If you just navigate the whole portal, it can already record your sales, manage your accounting, even pay suppliers, and we don't have to pay anything to use it. It's free of service. That's why for me, it's a big help. Because dati, we're really manual. But when I have a portal, you can track your sales fast. You can create your own system when it comes to funds,” she said.
From a simple coffee machine to a full-fledged cafe on a rooftop with many loyal patrons, 3rdfloorespresso Cafe has come such a long way in a span of three years. As the cafe continues to grow, it’s exciting to think of all the possibilities ahead – and Princess knows that with the help of GCash for Business, it’s all possible.
If you are a business owner and are interested in GCash SoundPay, signing up on the GCash for Business Portal is as easy as 1-2-3!
Create an account on the GCash for Business Portal. You can get started as a merchant using just your verified GCash account of at least 12 months to qualify for a Starter Plan.
Order a GCash SoundPay device.
Wait for an email confirmation and the device to be delivered right at your doorstep!
Deliveries take one week for Metro Manila addresses. Merchants outside Metro Manila can expect their GCash SoundPay devices within two weeks. For more information on how GCash helps empower businesses, visit GCash for Business. (SPONSORED CONTENT)