Around Town: Heroes Café & NBA Café Manila

NBA Cafe Manila

If there’s one thing we can say for sure that men all over the world love, it's basketball. With their hearts racing and their eyes sparkling at the mere mention of NBA teams or any of its players, we can say with confidence that basketball represents the ties that bond men.

This father’s month, we’re all about celebrating what dads love. And just in time, too, as we feature this one-of-a-kind café that pays tribute to the love of his life (sorry, moms): basketball.

Basketball heaven, the first in the worldThe very first NBA Café in the world can be found at the SM Aura Premier, with a stunning panoramic view of the Bonifacio Global City. The moment you step inside, you’ll know you’ve arrived in NBA heaven. Hardwood walls and floors give off that basketball court feel and the official logos of NBA teams are displayed at the entrance. Signed basketballs by the sport’s legends are enshrined in glass display cases, and one section of the café features an entire wall’s length covered with various NBA jerseys. A huge videowall becomes the focal point of the café’s main section, where NBA games are shown. Even the bar stools are upholstered in a rubbery orange fabric designed specifically to resemble the likeness of basketballs.

Authentic jerseys, as well as other memorabilia items, are sold at NBA Café Manila. “We used to have a LeBron jersey, but it was already sold,” says Nian Liwanag-Rigor, general manager. “It was then replaced by a Michael Jordan jersey, but after only a few days, it already got sold, too.”

These jerseys, which sell like hotcakes, can go for as much as 90,000 pesos each, but this doesn’t stop fans from buying them, as it is akin to finally acquiring something close to a childhood dream. Rigor shares that the 28-year-old who bought the Michael Jordan kept hugging the jersey’s box, refusing to let it go. “He was an Antonio Spurs fan, but he said he’d buy for Jordan. [Suddenly,] he was like a kid [again].”

Other displayed jerseys, on the other hand, are loaned by avid fans from their personal collections. 
“It automatically becomes the NBA hub of fans here and in nearby countries as well,” says Rigor. “The café should also help boost sports tourism and hopefully, when foreigners or tourists come to the country, it will also be part of the tourist destination.”

It’s all about the experience

Why the Philippines, out of all countries in Asia? “[NBA] has its own statistics and they keep track of their fan base, and it’s really apparent that we’re a huge basketball country,” explained Rigor. “During the time of [Typhoon] Yolanda, they were really struck with what they saw. Amidst collapsed houses, we Filipinos found time to laugh and to share a common passion, which was basketball.”

 

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When NBA Café Manila had its official opening last April 25, Utah Jazz’s Gordon Hayward just had to exclaim, “Wow! This country is amazing,” as he and WNBA Legend Tina Thompson were overwhelmed with the warm reception.

“[NBA Cafe] follows in the footsteps of NBA City at the Universal Studios Resort in Orlando, Florida,” explains Rigor. The said attraction features a coffee shop, NBA merchandise shop, and an interactive area where guests can test their shooting and dribbling skills. At NBA Café Manila, “The concept was to sell an experience that’s as if you’re watching a real [NBA] game,” says Rigor. 

NBA Café Manila offers American comfort food on their menu, like hot dogs that come with fries or beer-battered onion rings, soups, sandwiches, grilled specialties, burgers, and pizza. There’s even a kids’ menu with favorites like the spaghetti and meatballs and the macaroni and cheese, and some of these dishes have been localized in order to suit the local palate. Drinks range from milkshakes, soda floats, cocktails and beers. For dessert, there are pies, ice cream, cakes and other baked goodies. The price per dish ranges from P150 to P1,120. 

During the recent NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, NBA Café Manila opened earlier than usual to accommodate fans who wanted to watch the games live with friends, co-workers, and family. Says Rigor, “It’s quite an experience. Fans even come in their jerseys.”

Rigor, who took action photos of the fans during the games, shared these with NBA officials in the U.S. “They were amazed,” she says “[They knew] what time it [was] here. These people missed work [to watch the game]!’”

For everyone; not just for the fansNBA Café Manila is fast becoming a popular venue for corporate events and even birthday parties, what with the establishment’s well-incorporated basketball theme. Areas of the café can be sectioned off, or the whole area can be reserved for such functions. 

Surprisingly too, it’s not just men / basketball fans who frequent the NBA Café Manila. “Families, kids, they like the ambience,” shares Rigor. “People keep coming in. The numbers are getting better.”

Next page: Heroes Cafe

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Heroes Cafe

If you find yourself in one room with the villain The Joker, Star Wars’ Darth Maul, or the legendary Marvel hero Thor, chances are that you’re in a dream. Or, you could be inside Heroes.  

Heroes is a toy collector’s haven located at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig. The Chief Executive Collector, Mr. Ren Cayetano, shares that while he and his partners own two other collectibles stores – Maxicollector in V-Mall, San Juan, and Maxiworks in Power Plant, Makati – Heroes is the first of its kind among their businesses.

“We run collectibles stores [on one hand], and we also run a few restaurants for another company. We thought, what if we put up something different, something that would include food and drinks to our toy concept? So we opened Heroes in October 2012.”

True to its name, every corner of this 60-square meter space is filled with action figures and collectibles of comics, movie and sports heroes in all possible sizes, from the minute to the larger-than-life. Sharing the floor with them are the equally fascinating villains, crafted to the exact likeness of the original characters to the detail. This is what collectors come here to see. Says Ren, “We have collectors from as far as Rizal who come here two or three times a week.  The movie franchises have helped a lot, too, especially the Marvel- and DC-produced films.”

He observed, too, that customers usually shop by line, “Kinukumpleto nila, halimbawa puro Star Wars. Half of the customers just buy and keep it in the box, while the other half would open it, display it, take pictures and put it back in the box.”

Initially intended to cater to hobbyists, Ren says he is pleasantly surprised to see customers, such as residents from nearby condos, who frequent the place for the food, too. “Our bestsellers are the Tapa, the Angus Burger, Pork Chop, and Ribs, most of which cost under P300.”

While not everyone who visits the store are there to purchase, Ren says he is amused by how the parents and kids bond at Heroes. “Kids get excited when they see life-size statues of characters that they only see on TV or the movies. The dads naman, these are the same people who, when they were younger, watched cartoons, bought the comics, and now they have better purchasing power na.  So the dad and the kids enjoy looking at the toy displays, and sometimes they actually buy. Of course it’s the dad who pays, but they set it up together. For the inexpensive items, some of them will get two pieces -- one for the dad and one for the child. Or sometimes, the son searches the Internet for new stuff and will tell the dad about it.”

Starting a collection may sound like a luxurious hobby, but Ren says it isn't necessarily so. “We have bobbleheads that cost between P400 and P500.”

Is your son a big comics fan? Ren says they also hold small parties at Heroes, where they take care of the food and drinks at a very reasonable price. The best part? No additional decorations are necessary – all you need to bring is your imagination.

With these two Daddy-friendly spots that celebrate the things close to a man’s heart, you now know where to bring pop on your next family date. Cheers to these special men in our lives!

Click View slideshow to check out the photos!

NBA Cafe Manila is located at L5, Skypark, SM Aura Premier, 26th Street corner McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, and is open from 10 am to 10 pm every Sunday to Thursday, and from 10 pm to 2 am every Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (02)556-1683, or visit their Facebook page.

Heroes Cafe (Heroes Concept Store) is located at Unit B-6 971 Building 6, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. For more information, call (02)511-7327 or visit their Facebook page.

 

Photos by Dairy Darilag and courtesy of Nian Liwanag-Rigor (NBA Café) and Dakila Angeles (Heroes Café)