By Rizza Hull
LA TRINIDAD — Popular on a street in Barangay Pico, La Trinidad, a wall that at first glance looks like just a hole that needs to be repaired is now popular, but if you peek inside, you will see a unique café that is now being visited and talked about.
This is a so-called “hole-in-the-wall” café, where you order from a hole in the wall and your order will come out through said hole.
The newly opened Café in the Hole is owned by Samantha Kyzyl Edoc, 22, who began a soft opening on March 31.
Samantha graduated from Nursing at Easter College Inc. and instead of immediately entering the profession, she chose to build her own café as an extra income.
Samantha is no stranger to running a business because she has learned how to be a businessperson since she was a child. She started by looking after the store, until she tried selling various products online while studying, and now she has her own café.
From these trials, she discovered her passion. “That’s really what my heart loves, my passion, is serving.”, said Samantha.
Samantha was inspired by the cafés she saw on social media—that’s why she decided to open her own.
This included the “hole-in-the-wall” concept that she had only seen online from a café in Manila. “I was just watching it on the internet, and then I thought, what if I could do that kind of concept too.”, she said.
Because of its unique concept, it became an attraction in their barangay. It was popular with people, especially customers.
“We bought it here because it’s unique here in La Trinidad,” said Nicole Soo, a first-time customer. Aside from the design, one of the reasons why people visit is the affordable prices of their products, which is perfect for students.
Despite her successful business today, one of the challenges for Samantha is still keeping up with the number of customers. “We don’t have enough employees, so we’re always in line and we’re only two or three, it’s like three is still not enough. That’s why we’re really struggling because it’s taking us a long time to place an order,” Samantha said.
From a simple idea and a hole in the wall, a business was born that has captured the hearts of the community. For Samantha, this is not just a café—it’s a symbol of fulfilling dreams and proving that even behind a small hole, great success can peek through.
