Hava Java 671 finds new life with familiar faces at the helm
- Admin
- 29 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Ron Rocky Coloma
On their first date in 2000, Richard and Jenneth Quiambao left a long workday and chose coffee over dinner. They met at Hava Java Cafe, then one of the few places open late. Twenty-five years, children and grandchildren later, they now run the café where their story began.
The couple took over Hava Java 671 this year from founder Carol Ragan, who had signaled a break after three decades. Mrs.Quiambao , who has been Ragan’s neighbor for 18 years, said the handoff started as a casual conversation.
“It wasn’t planned,” she said. “We weren’t looking.”
Their two sons had worked at or frequented the shop and urged them to consider it. That pushed the couple to ask about a purchase, but only with one condition.
“If we were to take over, we wouldn’t do it unless she agreed to train,” Mrs. Quiambao said. “We wanted her to show us what it was all about.”
Ragan stayed to teach the coffee program, the deli workflow and the choices behind beans, equipment and recipes. Two longtime employees also remained to help train a mostly new crew. The Quiambaos say the goal is continuity, not a makeover.
“We look at it as a legacy,” Mr. Quiambao said. “She perfected it throughout those 30 years.”
“What works, works,” he added. “We gladly held on to that.”
Hava Java’s appeal, they said, is as much pace and ritual as taste. Lunchtime still brings the rush that strains a compact sandwich line designed for a coffee bar, not a deli. The couple acknowledges early growing pains.
“I apologize to all of those who had to wait for anywhere from 20 minutes or longer,” Mr. Quiambao said.
Regulars returned anyway. Some call in orders to skip the noon queue. Others come at 6:30 or 7 a.m. for a sandwich and a quiet table. The Quiambaos say that loyalty guided their approach.
“We wanted to keep it the way it is, pretty much,” Mrs. Quiambao said.
The couple also brought a youth leadership bent from their church work. About 80 percent of the staff are students. Training emphasizes facilitation, listening and peer mentoring, they said, so young employees can “rise” and lead projects.
Beyond daytime service, the café is testing later hours. Hava Java 671 now stays open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays for village events, families and small-group meetings. The owners may add Fridays if demand grows.
Ragan, who moved locations after a typhoon and kept the shop alive through the pandemic, wanted her methods preserved. The Quiambaos say she delivered detailed notes and hands-on instruction, down to why certain beans and machines were chosen and how house mixes are made.
“She gave us a gift,” Mrs. Quiambao said. “She did all the hard work, and we just wanted to continue the legacy.”
They kept the name, too. For the Quiambaos, it fits their intent to steady a community fixture while creating new memories. And it folds neatly into their own history.
Back in 2000, Mr. Quiambao arrived with cash in his pocket, ready to splurge. Jenneth chose coffee. They walked into Hava Java. A quarter-century later, they still do.
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