Kape Tayo celebrates one year of bringing Filipino coffee to HSV

The one-year anniversary of Gordan and Riza Krom’s Filipino coffee shop, Kape Tayo, is right around the corner. 

The Kroms, a married couple who have been doing business and life together for the past decade, relocated to Huntsville from Oregon in the summer of 2023. By October, they had opened Kape Tayo on the second floor of University Pickers, a quirky antiques mall located in a revamped former public school building. 

Kape Tayo means “Let’s Have Coffee” in Filipino. 

Riza, originally from Butuan City on the Philippine island of Mindanao, speaks two Filipino dialects, including Tagalog — which is the primary dialect of the Filipino language. 

There are two words for “us” in Tagalog, one is inclusive and the other is exclusive. The word used by the Kroms is the former — and a preview of the welcoming attitude that is evident from the moment that you step up to the shop window to order. 

Traditional coffee shop staples, like caramel macchiatos and chai tea, share menu space with Filipino specialties. 

The iced ube kape is one of the drinks that showcases the unique flavors of the Philippines. Ube, a type of yam, lends its eye-popping purple color to the drink. Guests select the depth of the roast of the coffee that is added to the drink. 

Gordan gives me a crash course in Filipino coffee while he and Riza mix the drinks. 

“The most popular region in the Philippines to grow coffee is called Lipa, Batangas. They grow a liberica bean there that is also called ‘Barako’ — meaning ‘bold’ or ‘strong,’” said Gordan.

Filipino-grown beans — which Gordan described as “earthy” but not bitter — are sold at the shop.

Guests who are looking for a non-caffeinated option can sample the ube in a non-coffee elixir called the Ube Dube.

The tempting concoction is made with “creamy coconut milk, half and half, milk, ube, coconut gels, coconut strings and tapioca pearls topped with whipped cream and an ube drizzle.” 

Crumbly ube shortbread cookies, dusted with sugar, pair well with the coffee. If you lean towards savory treats, pork siopao — which is similar to a dumpling — is on the menu. 

Kape Tayo’s “Tropiko” is a refreshing fruit drink made with calamansi, a citrus fruit found on the archipelago. Add-ins like strawberry, mango, and boba send the drink over the top. 

The Kroms chat with me about their travels, children, and future plans while I sip the sweet iced ube kape. Eventually, the couple would like to retire in the Philippines but, for now, they are loving their newfound city — where the rains remind Riza a bit of home. 

Kape Tayo’s one-year anniversary celebration will be held on Saturday, October 5. The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. that day. 

“We will be offering discounts on our drinks, along with a raffle and some giveaways,” said Gordan. “At lunchtime, Riza will be offering some Filipino food downstairs in the classroom — some chicken adobo and chicken pancit, which are noodles.”

If you are unable to make it to the anniversary celebration, Kape Tayo serves lunch specials every Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The lunch plates feature the siopao — dumplings — alongside halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert. The plate comes with a small drink and is $15.99. 

Kape Tayo can also be delivered through Grubhub and DoorDash, for folks who live within the accepted radius of the delivery services. 

Find Kape Tayo online at www.kapetayocoffee.com.