CAFE PEEK: Coffee Sarap features Filipino specialty coffees in Castle Rock

Coffee Sarap brings Filipino coffee flavors to Colorado By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

To celebrate Filipino American History Month, Coffee Sarap introduced a new Bubble Tsaa drink called the Bruha Bubble.

Beyond frappuccinos and lattes, coffee is getting a little kick of Asian flavors from the Philippines as two Filipino American women are introducing unique caffeinated brews from this island country.

Originally from Seattle, the business partners founded Coffee Sarap, currently a mobile coffee cart offering Filipino-flavored brews to communities in Castle Rock.

Filipino Pride

“We wanted to embrace our Filipino culture and share with the community our brews with flavors from the Philippines,” said Hannah Cambronero, 30, adding that the coffee cart debuted on June 12, which is the Independence Day of the Philippines from Spain, to honor their cultural heritage.

“Growing up in the 90’s, Filipino American History Month wasn’t even acknowledged,” said Chelsey Solemsaas, 31. “In fact, our parents were told to set aside their Filipino culture when they immigrated and were pressured to assimilate.”

Cambronero did not want to deny her Filipino culture. “But being Filipino is something that no one can take away from us. From the food, traditions, and communal way of life, Filipino Americans deserve to be recognized and it wasn’t until we were adults that we started to see it becoming more mainstream,” she said.

“Filipino American History Month gives us the opportunity to be proud of who we are. And with this month, we get to showcase and educate those around us about who we are, what we have to offer, and the diversity of Filipinos. We are proud of our heritage, and we hope to continue to pass that sense of pride to our kids.”

One of their busiest venues is in front of daycare centers. The foot traffic is dependable, and the flow of ordering is seamless as parents order their coffee, then drop their child(ren) off and pick up their coffee order from the cart on the way back to their car.

The cart is open three to four hours in the morning, serving an average of 50 customers.

Specialty coffee is a coffee experience recognized for its distinctive attributes, and because of these attributes, has significant extra value in the marketplace.

Long-time Acquaintances

Back in Seattle, Cambronero and Solemsaas first met each other during their high school years. But it wasn’t until they both moved to Colorado that they connected through a cousin. The duo are both mothers with young children around the same age, so they gather weekly with other moms on Thursdays for ladies’ night as a chance to wind down and decompress.

Brewing coffee was something both of them knew how to