With the surge of lifestyle influencers and the demand for quick, bite-sized content, it’s not unusual to see gadgets splayed across cafes. But did you know you don’t need to spend thousands on the latest tech to create high-quality content? At Creators Caffe, you can rent top-notch gadgets—right along with your coffee.
LOOK: Creators Caffe in Balara Content House, Quezon City
By now, we’re pretty sure you’ve heard about Balara Content House. The brainchild of Chestknots Photography founders Feliz and Jay Jay Lucas, the studio has hosted editorial shoots like our Best Dressed List for 2023 and 2024, celebrity pictorials like those of Belle Mariano's ABS-CBN Ball 2023 look, and even Julia Barretto’s 25th birthday party.
Opening during the pandemic, when quarantine guidelines dictated venue capacity, it attracted creatives not just with its spacious layout but also with its thoughtfully designed spaces. As artists themselves, they understood how environment shapes productivity and made it a priority.
Over the years, they’ve welcomed the public with Christmas portrait sessions, backyard speakeasy pop-ups, and now, the best-kept secret among their patrons is taking center stage—their on-site café.
"An influencer, during one of the shoots, created a TikTok and showed the cafe," Feliz tells Preview in an exclusive chat, recalling how they suddenly got an influx of inquiries about it. "But, it wasn't a cafe [that was open to the public]," she clarifies. "We were serving lang our renters kasi we were private and exclusive."
They saw an opportunity. "We tried to figure it out, and we made it more available to the public with restrictions," Feliz shares.
As a go-to studio for brand and editorial shoots, maintaining the integrity of their business was key. To that end, behind-the-scenes photos of ongoing shoots are strictly off-limits. "You also can't come in without making a purchase," she adds, explaining the balance they struck to keep the café accessible without compromising their core clientele.
Fun fact: Grabbing a bite at their café is something the Preview team always looks forward to when shooting there. Our editors swear by the Truffle Carbonara (P545) and the Pepperoni Sourdough Pizza (starting at P550 for solo). According to Feliz, their fries are a crowd favorite—you can choose from Twister (P185), Fries with Nori Bits (P215), or Crisscut Fries with Wagyu Cubes (P650), to name a few.
The curation of its menu stemmed from their customers' needs. "Initially we're just a studio for rent, and then we saw that the clients always order, so, syempre ang daming wastage, daming kalat, tapos, ang tagal pa nilang magihintay," Feliz observes.
They started with coffee, then added fruit shakes after noticing that celebrities preferred something healthy on set. Soon, their menu expanded to include breakfast dishes to keep hunger at bay, eventually growing to feature pizza, pasta, and hearty comfort food like Salpicao (starting at P435).
Beyond the food and drinks, what truly sets them apart is their Creator’s Rentables menu. True to their name, they offer mics, lights, tripods, and other high-quality gadgets for rent, ensuring crisp audio and well-lit, balanced video. Rates are available in-café, and you can also snap a keepsake at their Selfie Booth (starting at P200) or capture moments with their Instax (P98 per shot).
"[At its core, Balara Content House is] a space where creators can create content. It just so happens that we have food and drinks too!" Feliz says.
The space’s constant evolution may be exciting, but it’s hardly surprising—Feliz and Jay Jay have always been about innovation. "The progression really happens because of the needs or wants of our clients," Feliz reflects. "And then we adjust. Even the content spaces we have, we constantly change."
Next up? A pet-friendly area and a Mystery Box Madness pop-up happening on the weekends of April!
WATCH: Preview Goes to Creators Caffe
Creators Caffe at Balara Content House is located at 704-D Road 3 Matandang Balara, Quezon City
For bookings and more information, you may contact them on their official website, Instagram, and Facebook.
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