In a bid to financially help his parents after his overseas Filipino worker father got laid off due to a heart ailment, this 21-year-old man from Batangas transformed their bodega into a small coffee shop.
But before establishing his own business, John Carlo Valencia initially tried his luck in dog breeding and buying and selling cars.
“Ang sinabi ko is “Nay pano po kaya kung gawin nating coffee shop yung tindahan ng lola dahil wala naman ginawang ano nalang bodega” ganto ganyan. Sabi nya, “Ikaw kaya mo ba yan, maasikaso mo? Hindi basta-basta mag-aano ng business yan, hindi kasi yan pag nagsimula ka lang magaling. Dapat tuloy-tuloy at sustainable yung business,” he recalled.
“Matagal ko na kasing binabalak talagang gawing ano ‘yung bakanteng lote namin pagtayuan ng business. Nitong medyo may ipon na ako. Nakabenta na akong sasakyan, ng aso, ta’s may mga ipon ipon ako. ‘yon. Medyo napapayag ko sila,” he added.
John admitted that at first, his parents rejected the idea since he decided not to continue his studies amid the struggles in the pandemic.
But John was persistent and determined to make his dreams come true.
“Nung una talaga, kasi ayaw nila akong patigilin dahil ako nga po ang panganay. Hangga’t maaari sana ako’ng makatapos agad at makatulong. Kung baga sakin sa thinking ko naging praktikal lang ako kung saan meron ako,” he stressed.
In order to start his business venture, John had to sell his car for P200,000. He started constructing his small business in November 2021.
John revealed that he is not a fan of coffee drinks, so he had to ask help from his friends who love drinking coffee to craft the recipe.
“Kasi most of my friends kasi ay mahilig mag coffee. And ako kasi, nung una talaga at first, hindi talaga ako coffee lover. Parang, wala gusto ko lang tumambay sa coffee shop. Tambay-tambay ganon. Doon ako nagka-idea. “What if sige gandahan natin gawin nating ang ambiance ng coffee shop ay masarap tambayan?” John shared.
With the help of his family and cousins, John can now earn around P15,000 a week. He’s also able to help his parents by paying house bills. He’s also saving up to upgrade his coffee shop.
He said that he is thankful for his parents for trusting him in his new endeavor.
“I’m very thankful sakanila dahil kahit nung una medyo nag doubt sila, di sila tumigil kasusuporta sa’kin simula– from the start ng pagco-construct ng building up to current time, talagang tulong-tulong,” he said when asked about his message to his family.
Netizens lauded John for his dedication. The viral video has already garnered more than 900,00 views on social media.
John stressed that his success story might not be the same with others, as he noted the importance of finishing a degree. “Sa mga kabataan is hangga’t may chance na at kaya nyo matuto at kahit online class, mag-online class pa rin kayo dahil ‘yan talaga ang makakatulong sa’tin.”
He hopes to continue his studies and to expand his business in the future.
“Talagang education is a treasure. Di talagang mananakaw yung edukasyon na matututunan mo eh. Kaya siguro pag medyo normal na. Kasi may balak din akong magstudy abroad para po sa business ko,” he said.
Ristretto Café is located in Lorenzo Village, San Sebastian, Lipa, Batangas.
