Coffee-car wash biz makes waves in Bohol

Bohol (CNN Philippines) — Coming up with one business is hard enough but bundling two businesses together? Talk about a challenge. But businesswoman Ayressa Tanya Ayeng-Colarines from Tagbilaran had a game plan that proved to be a recipe for success — setting up an internet-ready café to go with the car wash shop.

The business logic was there — people need a place to stay and spend their time while having their car washed, and a café is the perfect solution.

“Most of the working professionals I cater to want to have their coffee while waiting for their car to get washed, so they’re on their laptops and their phones while waiting,” said proprietor Ayressa Tanya Ayeng-Colarines.

The car wash business was set up in 2019 in the same area where Tanya’s father ran their 20-year old gas station. Inheriting her father’s business-savviness, she came with the café called Your Lounge Cafe two years later.

“With the two businesses complementing each other, sales of the car wash doubled,” said Tanya.

Although Your Lounge Cafe ties in with the car wash, it can stand as a business by itself — apart from coffee, it offers a wide array of dishes including Filipino food and American cuisine. Offering full meals make it an ideal brunch place during weekdays, a place where you can invite friends and family, even without having their car washed.

Perhaps the biggest advantage Your Lounge can offer its target market of working professionals is its lightning-speed internet connection. Your Lounge can also be a co-working space where people can pay an affordable rate of ₱30 per hour for internet use for workers who are “working-from-café.”

“Most of our clients are working professionals so we allow them to work here for longer hours at a friendly rate. They like working in a cozy place with fast wifi connection so they choose to be here,” shared Tanya.

This pivot into a digital-ready establishment was thanks to the pure fiber connection provided by Converge, a relatively new player on the block in Bohol. Even so, word spread quickly about the high speeds and unbeatable prices, so Your Lounge readily signed on.

“Many Boholanos are curious about how fast Converge is. They tried it here in the café and they’re satisfied with the internet connection. I see clients posting their speed tests on our Facebook page and I share it,” she said.

Digital empowerment for Boholanos

A point of pride for the young businesswoman is that they kept workers connected throughout the pandemic.

“I have a friend who is an online English teacher. They inquired through the Facebook page if she can teach at the café, and we said yes since we have a fast connection. She’s been coming here almost everyday since that day she inquired,” Tanya said.

Aside from those working from home, Your Lounge Cafe also serves as a virtual classroom for students. “Parents bring their children after school, and they make their assignments here using their tablets,” she added.

At the height of online events, Your Lounge also offered live-streaming to go with their catering service, proving they are a digitally-empowered and forward-looking business. In one instance they provided live-streaming for a church-service where the guest preacher was based in Manila. Attendees in Bohol flocked to the café to attend the event together while enjoying delicious food served in the café.

“I want customers to have a different experience in Your Lounge. Aside from enjoying our food, they’ll receive top-notch service from our car wash. So they have a fast wi-fi connection, good food, and other services,” Tanya ended.

Visit Your Lounge RestoBar for inquiries on bookings and catering. To know more about Converge, visit convergeict.com.