The owner of a coffee shop addressed a customer’s unpleasant experience at one of its branches in España, Manila, where the customer said they overheard homophobic remarks and encountered a “noisy” staff.
Brew & Co owner Mika Leetong on Tuesday, July 21, responded to the concerns raised by a diner who visited the cafe’s España branch in Manila and complained about its staff and service.
A TikTok user said they encountered “noisy baristas” whose voices were loud enough to draw the attention of other customers, including students.
The TikTok user also claimed that the baristas made what they described as “homophobic remarks,” including “Ay, bakla ‘yan” or “Bading naman ‘yan eh.”
The TikTok user said he felt offended because he and his boyfriend were seated at a nearby table.
“Nakaka-sad lang na ganoon pa maririnig namin. Nakakababa ng pagkatao,” he said.
The TikTok user also claimed that there was no mobile signal inside the shop. Although the cafe offered Wi-fi, he said the connection was “weak” and barely worked.
“Okay, so hindi na kami ng internet at all. Okie lang. Pero, first time ko lang makapunta sa coffee shop na gan’to ‘yung service and culture. Na para bang hindi kami nagbayad,” he said.
@emdirivera Please take time to notice @Brewandco.mnl owner. I’m not sure if you’re aware how insensitive your baristas are. We really need to call them out. Storytime. So nag coffee shop kami malapit sa Espana. At first, it was all good and maganda ‘yung vibes ng shop. Though, patagal nang patagal, biglang umiingay ‘yung mga barista, and umabot sa point na medyo napapatingin na ‘yung ibang customers kasi nga agaw pansin ‘yung ingay. I noticed lang na some students are studying. So, baka man lang mapansin nila and be considerate if makita nila na may tumitingin sa kanila. Kaso, they don’t seem to care and tinuloy lang nila. Then, kanina pa ako nagtitimpi, kasi puro sila homophobic remarks ta’s may subtle hints na “ay bakla ‘yan” ganon or “bading naman ‘yan eh” in an insulting tone. Hindi ko nalang pinansin at first, pero I know need talaga dapat i-call out since magkatabi nga kami ng jowa ko sa table malapit sa barista and we’re an LGBTQ couple, and nakaka-sad lang na ganon pa maririnig namin. Nakakababa ng pagkatao. Aside from that, siguro dito na ako nagkusang mag salita, wala talagang signal sa shop. Naisip ko, “ah sige may wifi naman” I mean okay lang naman since meron nga. Ta’s nung nakita kong 1 mbps lang ta’s papatay-patay pa, paano? Okay lang sana kahit wag na mag-wifi kaso hindi ko rin magamit data ko kasi nga walang signal :<. Okay, so hindi na kami ng internet at all. Okie lang. Pero, first time ko lang makapunta sa coffee shop na gan’to ‘yung service and culture. Na para bang hindi kami nagbayad. #fyp #coffeeshop #brewandco ♬ original sound – Emdiii 🤍
Leetong said she takes “full responsibility and accountability as the owner” of the coffee shop following the incident.
She said she initially reached out to the customer and personally extended her apologies.
Leetong added that she contacted her staff, issued them a Notice To Explain (NTE) and gave them a verbal warning and a memorandum.
She also said the cafe will operate on a half-day schedule on July 23 so to allow the team to attend a Gender Sensitivity and SOGIE Awareness Seminar.
Leetong said that issuing an apology “will never be enough” and that she is “really trying” her best to implement concrete plans and solutions to ensure that a similar incident will not happen again.
“Thank you to everyone who continues to hold us accountable and gives us the opportunity to learn, improve and do better,” the cafe said in a Facebook post.
Brew & Co began during the COVID-19 pandemic as an e-commerce venture that initially specialized in syrups and sauces.
It later expanded into a full-blown coffee shop offering beverages such as Sea Salt Latte and Tiramisu Latte, as well as breakfast meals like Sausage Platter and Caramelized Spam.