The Research and Social Outreach (RSO) office in partnership with Rocky Mountain Café Inc and Brew Brothers Coffee Services Inc formally opened the Café Ateneo at the lobby of the Science Center building on Feb 9.

Café Ateneo is part of the Student Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) of RSO which seeks to promote entrepreneurship among the students by establishing enterprises that can serve as business laboratories for both business and non-business students.

The Café, while serving as a training ground for future full-fledged entrepreneurs, aims to expand the food and dining options of the University community. The Café serves specialty coffee provided by Rocky Mountain, a social enterprise that distributes only organic Arabica coffee grown by local farmers. Apart from brewed coffee, the Café also serves chocolate drink, sandwiches, cookies, cakes and other food items.

With a temporary location at the Science Center building, the Café is convenient for students who may not have enough time to go to the cafeteria or a farther location for a snack in between classes. Tables and chairs are provided for chitchats or serious discussions that go well with coffee.

Ultimately, RSO hopes to make Café Ateneo more than just a snack bar but a hotbed of intellectual discourse.

“We want to make it into a hub where students and student organizations can meet and amplify their ideas,” said Don Patrimonio, SEP program officer, adding that  Café Ateneo is only the first of many SEP projects that will be established.