This is the third in a series of reviews I am making on the different
coffee shops in the Queen City of the South. It aims to give online freelance
workers, like me, a heads up on what to expect before looking for a place to
spend the next few hours of their life facing a laptop with a cup of coffee on
the side. The third coffee shop I am reviewing is the Coffee Dream branch
located along Gorordo Avenue.
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| Image Credit: www.facebook.com |
Coffee Dream is another home-grown coffee brand established by
a dynamic local businessman who actually ran for the second highest office in
the province of Cebu. The coffee shop is just one of the numerous companies of
the businessman, who received several entrepreneurship awards in the past and
was named one of the Top Ten entrepreneurs by the Entrepreneur Magazine in
2006.
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| Image Credit: cebudailynews.inquirer.net |
The Gorordo branch of Coffee Dream is just one of the
branches of the coffee shop chain around the archipelago. I used to patronize
this particular branch of Coffee Dream whenever there were no available seats
at the Ayala Terraces branch of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. The internet
connection of this branch of the coffee shop chain is somewhat wanting. Similar to the Cebu Doctors’ branch of Bo’s
Coffee, there are instances when the connection would experience temporary disruptions. Due to this, it may not be advisable for
online freelance workers who require a reliable internet connection to work
here. It should also be taken into consideration that the place is not a
co-working zone specifically designed to cater to online freelance workers.
But, if you just need a place to work in without having to worry about the internet
connection, it is quite a cozy place to stay in, particularly on a lazy, rainy
weekend afternoon.
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Image Credit: www.empressofdrac.com
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The coffee shop is located just along Gorordo Avenue, which
makes it quite accessible from just about any part of the city. A number
of jeepney routes pass through the place and the jeepney stop is right in front
of the building. Online freelance workers living outside of the city will have
to take at least two rides in order to reach this place. For those of
you who are earning more than enough to buy your own car, the parking lot is
actually shared by a real estate developer. So, there are times when you may
not find any space to park your car. Since the place is not located inside a
mall or a major business hub, you can actually find a good number of tables
available for use. It is also rare for people to leave their bags while they
grab a bite somewhere else since there are no carenderias or cheaper places to
eat within 100 meters of the place.
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Image Credit: www.facebook.com
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Whenever I worked at this branch of the Coffee Dream, I
would normally order the Grande size of their Plain Brewed Coffee, which tastes
just like that, plain brewed coffee.
They actually have a number of hot and cold drinks available for their
customers. Come to think of it, most, if not all, coffee shops have similar
drinks with some variations in the names and sizes. When it comes to the food,
they do have a good selection of sandwiches, salads, pasta and . . . rice
meals. The one thing that I like about this coffee shop is their rice meals. Many
of the coffee shops I’ve been to in the past do not offer rice meals. Due to this, this place has a special place in
my heart . . . stomach. Whenever I
do not feel like eating rice, I normally order their Club Sandwich or the Spinach
Pesto pasta. The prices are actually competitive based on the ambience of the place.
The prices of their drinks range from P80 for the Single Expresso to P145 for
their Grande Iced Mocha. The food is priced at P120 to P140.
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| Image Credit: www.facebook.com |
Since I was already a frequent weekend customer of this
branch, their customer service was quite good. In fact, some of their baristas
already recognized me and they normally know what I would order, just like the baristas
at the Terraces branch of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Since a number of students
from a nearby university use the place as their study hall, the baristas are
already used to having customers staying for several hours at a time. Due to this, online freelance workers may also
feel welcome whenever they come by the place to work.
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Image Credit: www.facebook.com
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One thing I like about the Gorordo branch of the Coffee
Dream is its second level. There is one particular table that may be considered
a prime location for anyone who comes here, the table beside the window
overlooking the street below. Whenever I get the chance, I normally stay here since
I get the chance to people-watch whenever my brain experiences rigor mortis. But,
since it is a prime location, many of the patrons normally choose to sit at this
table. Whenever this table is occupied, which happens more often than not, I go
the second best table in the house . . . the table beside the window on the ground
floor. While the view is not as good as
the second floor, it still allows me to stare aimlessly at the road as cars and
people pass by. Another thing I like about the place is its ambience. It has a
library-like ambience where people normally work in silence. There may be some
patrons who discuss business, particularly agents of the real estate developer
next door who meet their clients at the place, they are the minority. Most of
the patrons are either students or online freelance workers, which means the
place is generally conducive to working.
In my opinion, online freelance workers who do not require continuous
internet connection can take the Gorordo branch of the Coffee Dream into
consideration whenever they are looking for a place to work in. Good food, nice
drinks pleasant ambience, and a great view from the second floor window.
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Image Credit: www.facebook.com
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Disclaimer: This review is based on my personal experience.
If you have any comments, suggestions and not-so-violent reactions, please sit
down and gather your thoughts before writing them down and editing them on the
comment box below. Rocks, rocks in the heavens, whoever gets angry will have
Mr. Murphy to deal with.
