Featured art by Bhernn Saenz. With images courtesy of Cafe 10/23.
CAVITE, Philippines—From the drawing board to its exceptional one-year growth, Café 10/23 has been designed to foster beautiful shared experiences in one warm, growing community for locals and visiting coffee lovers. Nestled unassumingly right at the heart of Imus, backdropped by a sea of developments in Cavite, the homegrown coffee destination marks its first year milestone just in time for International Coffee Month. In the middle of it all is the vision of young entrepreneur Laurice Annelle “LA” Gonzaga Cantimbuhan, who takes pride in the establishment’s nod to family, heritage, packaged in a heartfelt love letter the province.
“Café 10/23 is a story and legacy of our family,” Cantimbuhan declares before a gathering of patrons and locals, creators, and the press in an intimate gathering hosted in a relaxing sanctuary of greens, fresh air, complemented by good food and drinks. “Our goal at Café 10/23 is for Caviteños to experience high-quality food and service similar to those in Metro Manila without needing to get out of Cavite,” she adds.
Images courtesy of Café 10/23.
In its inception, starting as a café with a 120-seating capacity, now evolving to house 300 in a year, and serving over 1000 guests on weekends, Café 10/23 shows no signs of slowing down with plans of expansion in the horizon. “It just feels heartwarming to know that at the beginning, ang iniisip namin is kung may uupo ba sa 120 seats na we planned. Now, our main concern is if we will be able to accommodate as many guests as we can,” Cantimbuhan tells Rank Magazine.
Jumpstarting her career in public relations and marketing for years before dipping her toes in business ventures, Café 10/23 is the very representation of the their family’s vibrant spirit, love for the community, and unrelenting commitment to filling the gap for creating a unique haven in their hometown that locals have been looking for, and visiting patrons from nearby cities can also enjoy.
Images courtesy of Café 10/23.
In a shared press statement, Café 10/23 is disclosed as an homage to a significant occasion for the family, with October 23 as the birthdays of two very important members of the Gonzaga-Cantimbuhan family, Imus City Board Member Ony Cantimbuhan and late grandmother, Rosalinda Gonzaga. Serving as overarching inspiration, the roots of this venture run deep as GZG Cousins Inc. stands as a tribute to their late grandmother by the Gonzaga-Cantimbuhan cousins, joining LA are Gelo, Gio, Francesca, Isabella, Pauline, Enzo, Zoe, and Bianca.
For the family, proudly born and raised in the City of Imus, Café 10/23 is an idyllic and deliberate love letter to their hometown. These are all made apparent as one takes his first steps into destination, with the tapestry of treasures that hold lasting legacy for the family. Of note, a vintage seat from Lola Rosalinda’s house, was restored as accent to the dining room as an homage to family history.
From the personal to the community, the destination also holds itself committed in supporting and promoting local Caviteño artists and artisans. For one, the gallery wall showcases the work of local Imus artist Christian Tamondong, along with a bevy of furniture peppered across the space, including signature tables and chairs, crafted by local artisans.
The iconic Jeep, a centerpiece in the cafe, was then crafted by Caviteño artists as a potent symbol and display of the legacy of Lola Rosalinda’s business (Gonzaga Body Builders) of crafting passenger jeeps from the ’60s to the ’80s. It is also a nod to BM Cantimbuhan’s first venture as a working student: redesigning passenger jeeps, in many ways a showcase of familial ties and cherished history.
Images courtesy of Café 10/23.
Beyond the space’s rich heritage and inviting design, the coffee shop sure holds its food and drinks to a premium. Representative of a passion for pastries, the family has put up an in-house bakery one month before the cafe’s launch. The pastries boast of a selection that includes the rich and unique flavors of the Ube Leche Flan Danish, the enticing layers of the Butter Croissant, and the indulgent allure of the signature Chocolate Cake.
Of course, Café 10/23 takes pride in serving the top-quality coffee, with the exclusive use of Deuces Coffee Beans from the renowned cafe and roastery based in Makati, featuring an array of signature caffeinated drinks, from the White Chocolate Mocha Latte, Tiramisu Latte, and Sea Salt Spanish Latte and Matcha Latte, with authentic ingredients directly sourced from Uji, Kyoto in Japan.
Aside from this, non-coffee drinks such as blended drinks, cookies and cream, chocolate fudge, strawberry, and ube latte are also available, along with a melange of bestsellers that include Iced Tea, Strawberry Lemon Soda, Butterfly Pea Lemonade, and Yuzu Soda.
The savory indulgence on the menu offers a variety of dishes like the Truffle Cream Pasta, Family Recipe Beef Tapa, Creamy Bistek Tagalog, Pork Belly Bowl, and Classic Fried Chicken. Of note, the pride of Imus City, the renowned Imus Longganisa, takes center stage as a star ingredient, gracing the breakfast plates and lending its unique flavors to the Café 10/23 salad.
Images courtesy of Café 10/23.
Taking a look back on its illustrious journey to its first year, the coffee destination, led by Cantimbuhan, and the entire family that breathed life to this coffee sanctuary, is in high spirits with the announcement of the café’s glowing expansion plans, which include a bigger commissary for Café 10/23 bakehouse and kitchen, a new indoor dining that could also serve as an events hall, and two more branches in Cavite in 2025 already underway.
The celebration was also marked by yet another milestone with a special collaboration with contemporary street label and larger-than-life creativity and culture-disruptor, Secret Fresh, with founder Big Boy Cheng, a self-proclaimed fan of Café 10/23 fan and honorary member of the family, gracing the occasion in full support.
Café 10/23 is located at Imus Blvd., Malagasang II-C, Imus Cavite. It’s open every weekday, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on weekends from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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