Yardstick Reopens Their OG Legazpi Village Branch With a "Flavor Bar" + Exclusives

(SPOT.ph) What does it take for a coffee shop to be an icon? You can pump up your interior game or lengthen the range of your menu—but if Yardstick's case is anything to go by, it's really all about that core goal of spreading the coffee knowledge and love with those who share that passion. The homegrown café opened their doors in Legazpi Village in 2013 and has since played a pivotal role in raising the bar for coffee in Manila, drawing a crowd of regulars—casual coffee drinkers and hardcore enthusiasts included—for their superb cups of joe, great-quality beans and equipment, and coffee appreciation classes.

Hearts were, of course, broken as Yardstick announced the (temporary but nevertheless unfortunate) closure of this OG branch in November of 2022. Yet fans held on to the promise that they'd reopen in time, and that time has come. Yardstick's Legazpi Village branch is back with a vengeance—that is, with new areas to hang out in, new experiences to go for, and new bites and beverages to love.

Also read:
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UPDATED: Coffee Heads, Yardstick's OG Legazpi Village Branch Is Closing for Now 
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Yardstick is back in Legazpi Village:

Yardstick's long had a way of fitting right in with the rest of quiet ol' Esteban street, and the same is true today. A pale yellow strip with their name fronts the roof covering the doorway in; step in and you're welcomed into their newly renovated space, which now flaunts a slightly different look.

The overarching industrial feel of the OG is still there—primarily neutral color scheme, white and wooden surfaces, occassional bursts of color (especially by the merch nook and the shelves with books!) and all. They can now sit more diners at a time, with the tables and seats being distributed among small pockets of space to keep the atmosphere laid-back; they also boast a bigger kitchen, as well as the Flavor Bar—a small bar area of sorts that we'll get to shortly.

Given the changes and renovations within their Legazpi Village space, the team went through "a lot of softskill training and intensive product knowledge bootcamps," Yardstick founder Andre Chanco explains in an exchange with SPOT.ph. "Reason is, the revamped flagship store has several components to it that focus [on] different customer interactions [or] experiences."

Among those interactions are "flavor experiences" or "tasting experiences"—essentially tastings and cuppings the Yardstick team will be holding at the said Flavor Bar toward the side of the shop. "We conducted a survey last year with 1000 of our customers and discovered that the coffee's flavor profile is the top criteria that they decide to buy some beans for home or order a cup of the cafe. Therefore, the Flavor Bar just really expounds on this idea of exploring the world of specialty coffee through flavor experiences," Chanco says of the inspiration behind its establishment. "I also enjoy more intimate coffee spaces, where there is deep, meaningful and friendly [i.e.] non-intimidating experiences between customers and coffee professionals." And for those getting into specialty coffee for the first time, "the 'aha' moment happens in a small café setting."

"We also did a lot of top level strategy on what it means for Yardstick to have a physical space. I do not classify our spaces as straightforward cafe or F&B establishments. We take a look at each location and understand how we can add value as we scale."

You can, of course, still order your go-to coffee drinks ala carte from the separate Espresso Bar. "We haven't changed much from the Yardstick faves," Chanco assures us—which is to say fan-favorite drinks like the Black Magic (starts at P165/eight ounces hot), Flat White (P150/eight ounces, P170/12 ounces), and Oatchata (P160/12 ounces, P175/16 ounces) happily remain on the menu. You can make your drink more you by customizing the espresso base—there's Legazpi Flagship blend has a citrusy profile with notes of red grapes, milk chocolate, and lemon peel; alternatively, go for their seasonal single-origin espresso. (As of writing they're grinding and brewing drinks up with the single-origin Peru La Naranja blend that evokes the warmth of plums, honeycomb, and candied orange.)

Still, they've got new Legazpi branch exclusives—among which are the one-of-a-kind Bittersweet Symphony (P170/12 ounces, P190/16 ounces) with single-origin espresso atop a refreshing corn slushie, the tropical Coco Loco (P170/12 ounces, P190/16 ounces) with their Legazpi espresso atop a coconut slushie, and the dream in a cup that is the Cloud Cream (P190/12 ounces, P210/16 ounces).

With the bigger kitchen also comes new savory dishes you can dig into alongside your coffee. The Mozzarella Croquettes (P320) filled with mozzarella and served with aioli and pomodoro sauce make for crisp-gooey bites on a lazy afternoon; they've also got heavyweight plates of the likes of the Grilled Salmon (P980) and Breakfast Pasta (P450) with longganisa and a poached egg. Do save room for dessert; they're the first local spot to offer Oatly Soft Serve (P160), which can be had with toppings like Espresso (additional P50), Kinako and Caramel (additional P40), and Local Honey and Sea Salt (additional P40).

Now on their 10th year, the brand has evolved in a multitude of ways since their inception. "[One of those ways we've changed is] how we communicate and listen—with our industry peers and the broader community," Chanco tells us.

"[With] communication, a lot of specialty coffee roasters live by the same mantra and principles. Instead of echoing each other, Yardstick continues to distill and make accessible the nuances of specialty coffee," the coffee shop founder explains. "[With listening], as much as we have a strong philosophy of how we do things, in the recent years, we listen and interact with our closet customers even more... The new Yardstick space in Legazpi village is a product of [a] survey we did last year with our core customers... We want to know what's important to them and how they interact with coffee in their lives."

Yardstick is at the Universal LMS Building, 106 Esteban, Makati City. For more information, check out Yardstick's Facebook page.

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