A coffee shop in Taytay, Rizal urged followers to support another local cafe visited by a group that overstayed for hours and only ordered drinks.
The Fifth Cafe, also known as The Fifth, shared its side of the story after members of a Christian organization left negative reviews following a reminder about their hours-long stay.
The cafe said it was visited by 20 people from the Purpose Venture Young Professionals last month despite having a maximum capacity of only 18 customers.
The Fifth said that their staff did not notice the number as the group “showed up in small groups of 2-3 people at a time.”
It also had to “turn down several customers” to accommodate the large group of 20, which the cafe said had a “meeting for over four hours” during its “peak hours” on its “busiest day” without having reservations.
“Normally, we would require reservations for this kind of arrangement because we have certain requirements, and so that our staff can prepare as well. But we welcomed you to our store regardless,” the cafe said in a statement on Sunday, March 30.
“It is reasonable that after 4 [four] hours, we needed to be informed of how long you were planning to stay for so we can make necessary arrangements for other customers. If we knew initially that you were going to be such a big group, we would have informed you of our policies,” it added.
The Fifth denied claims from the group that it turned them away and failed to serve all of their orders.
“We also have [CCTV] footage, that we showed you before leaving the store, that everything you ordered was served. We never asked you to leave. We treat our customers with utmost respect,” it said.
The cafe’s statement was a response to the reviews that the group left on its Facebook page.
Group apologizes
The group reportedly apologized for its members’ actions, acknowledging that they “did not reflect the values of humility, respect, and kindness” it strives to uphold.
“We deeply regret any offense we have caused and take full responsibility for this misstep,” the Purpose Venture Young Professionals said in a statement, as quoted by PhilSTAR Life.
It also said it had asked its members to delete the negative reviews on The Fifth’s Facebook page.
“We want to make it clear that our actions do not represent the Christian community as a whole,” the group added.
“And we humbly acknowledge that we should have conducted ourselves in a manner more aligned with our faith,” it continued.
Another cafe
Meanwhile, The Fifth thanked its supporters and highlighted another coffee shop that it said also encountered a similar situation with the group.
“Please show SUVI Coffee some support as well! The owner reached out to us, and apparently, they went there without reservations too,” the cafe said in the comments section of their post.
“They counted 18 people but only ordered 5-6 [five to six] drinks for 3 [three] hours! Tapos the group even brought Starbucks drink inside their store. How disrespectful!” The Fifth added.
The Fifth also shared a screengrab of a conversation with the SUVI Coffee owner who said the same group only ordered “six drinks” and stayed for “three hours.”
The SUVI Coffee owner said they would be the ones to talk to the group if they ever returned to the cafe.
SUVI Coffee offers different varieties of coffee like Mocha, Peppermint Latte, Irish Cream Latte, and Java Chip, as well as other types of beverages like teas and ice-blended drinks.
It also sells several pastas, sandwiches, and fries.
SUVI Coffee is located along Rizal Avenue in Taytay, Rizal.
Meanwhile, The Fifth sells various coffee drinks like Breve, Cafe Con Leche, Sea Salt Vanilla Cream, and Dark Mocha, as well as other beverages such as milkshakes, teas, ice-blended drinks, and floats.
It also offers rice bowls, sandwiches, baked goods, and chicken wings.
The Fifth is located in Tancinco Subdivision, San Isidro, Taytay, Rizal.
