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Alex Ruperto

@vilma_nj

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🥐 Chef consultant

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Last Saturday, we officially celebrated one whole year at our brick-and-mortar 🥹

This time last year, we hosted our friends & family soft opening, our first real test of service just two days before opening to the public. It was chaotic in the best way, and so heart-warming to see so many familiar faces who have been supporting us since our mobile cart days gathered in a space we built for the community. The photos in this carousel are little snippets from that day, capturing the excitement, the nerves, and everything in between. We were gifted more bottles of champagne and flowers than we could count, and everyone’s support genuinely brought us to tears. After three years of blood, sweat, tears, and late nights, everything we worked toward finally felt real.

From the beginning, our hope was to create more than just a coffee shop, we dreamt of a place where people could gather over coffee, movement, games like mahjong, and new ways to experience Philippine cuisine. Thanks to this incredible community, that vision has grown beyond anything we imagined. This space is nothing without the people who fill it: our team, our regulars, and even those just passing through who end up staying a little longer.

Since then, we’ve seen our space used for everything from friends catching up, birthday celebrations, people working remotely, bible studies, and even an engagement photoshoot. Thank you for allowing us to live out our dream every single day. Here’s to many more years, memories, and moments together 🤍☕️

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Come with our Chef de Cuisine, Kay, behind the scenes of our first ever Supper Club 🍽️🇵🇭

From early afternoon prep to the final plate, our first supper club exceeded all expectations of what we thought it would be. It was such a special night seeing guests enjoy our chefs’ interpretations of Philippine cuisine in a whole new way. And even more meaningful for us to see the community enjoying our space in a dinner setting and making new memories. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made our very first Supper Club dinner a success, this is only the beginning and we can’t wait for you all to see what else we have in store 🤍

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We’re closing out Filipino American History Month with something truly special: our first-ever Ayala Supper Club! 💜✨

Join us this Friday for an intimate 4-course dinner highlighting the incredible talent of Filipino chefs and offering a new way to experience Philippine cuisine, right here in the comfort of our shop.

This series is a passion project months in the making, and we’re so excited to have the first dinner curated by our very own Executive Chef Alex Ruperto and Chef de Cuisine Kay Manahan. Our 8PM dinner is already sold out, and there are very limited seats left for 5:30PM, don’t wait to grab your tickets before they’re gone!

ayalacoffee.com/shop

Friday, October 24
📍Ayala
Doors open 5pm
Dinner starts 5:30pm

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This is THE coffee shop of Union

📍Ayala Coffee
Union, NJ

I went to Ayala a few times back when they were still in their first cozy shop before they opened this bigger location. So happy to finally try their expanded menu with food items from @vilma_nj

- pandan latte (my favorite)
- mangorind spritz (so refreshing)
- tocino breakfast sandwich (the ube burger bun just takes this breakfast sandwich to another level)
- sinigang pork croquette (pork and taro filling with sawsawan dipping sauce, this was sooooo good and I need everyone to try this)

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✨ October is here, which means Filipino American History Month kicks off tomorrow! 🇵🇭To celebrate, we’re filling the month with events that bring our community together: Mahjong Night, Run Club, Ayala After Hours, and our very first Supper Club.

Come for the coffee, stay for the culture and community. Mark your calendars! This month is going to be special 💜

Friday, Oct 10 - Mahjong Night
Saturday, Oct 18 - Ayala After Hours featuring @isiahsab @imyeek
Sunday, Oct 19 - Run Club in collaboration with @jamiebbnyc
Friday, Oct 24 - Supper Club Dinner featuring @vilma_nj @kaymanahan

LIMITED TICKETS FOR EVENTS NOW LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE! Head to ayalacoffee.com/shop and ayalacoffee.com/runclub 🫶

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📍Ayala Coffee
Union, NJ

This is THE coffee shop of Union. I went to Ayala a few times back when they were still in their first cozy shop before they opened this bigger location. So happy to finally try their expanded menu with food items from @vilma_nj

- pandan latte (my favorite)
- mangorind spritz (so refreshing)
- tocino breakfast sandwich (the ube burger bun just takes this breakfast sandwich to another level)
- sinigang pork croquette (pork and taro filling with sawsawan dipping sauce, this was sooooo good and I need everyone to try this)
- ensaymada cruffin (I warmed this up in the air fryer, loved the crisp texture)

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This night will always remind me that some moments refuse to shrink into a screen, some bonds outgrow titles, and when you love something deeply enough, the universe will make the moon rise just a little brighter.

They met in 2015 when we all started working together. She became my work wife immediately, and when she told me they were dating, it felt like the world had simply clicked into place.

Ten years later, they finally got the ceremony they deserved. He planned it for months and every detail carried his love. From handwritten menus to the way the moon seemed to rise just for her.

But it wasn’t just a celebration of them. It was a love letter to everyone they love. Being included in that is something I’ll always be grateful for. And when life feels heavy these memories are what keep me hopeful. Otherwise, why bother.

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We’ve unpacked, washed, and actually put everything away. Before that magic fades, here’s a photo dump, starting with Tuscany + Florence, minus the wedding.

Italy reminds us that cracks do not ruin things, but give them character. Frescoes fade, towers lean, and the world still calls it beautiful.

Twenty five years of figuring things out, almost divorces, moving back and forth between coasts, and still choosing each other. We are still here, as solid as Michelangelo’s David and maybe just old enough to be considered historic.

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Our most popular dish, broken down 👀✨

Inspired by the Filipino breakfast staple, tocilog, the Tocino Breakfast Sandwich is an Ayala original and packs all the flavors we grew up with. Featuring a sweet house-marinated tocino, fried egg, hashbrown, and atchara on a soft toasted ube bun.

It’s Filipino breakfast, reimagined. Tocino sandwiches available daily, get yours now! 🇵🇭💜

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“After a year, I realized it wasn’t the right fit, leaving me feeling deeply unfulfilled and questioning my future direction.”

That was Trixie Jose, CPA, fashion girlie, first-gen Filipina - right before she co-founded @ayalacoffee, now one of New Jersey’s most beloved Filipino cafés.

Alongside her husband Matt Reyes and Executive Chef Alex Ruperto, Ayala is brewing more than just coffee. It’s a whole vibe: leche flan croissants, turon lattes, and that balikbayan warmth you didn’t know you were missing.

📍Downtown NJ.
 📲 Tap the link in bio to read how they turned career burnout into a community space filled with heart (and hella good ube).

Interview and words crafted by our contributor @jennred24 of @inherpurpose.

#filipinoamerican #ayalacoffee #firstgengrit #filamcreatives #jerseycoffee #pinoyflavors #cafesofinstagram #filipinofoodie #ubevibes #filipinoheritage #filipinopride #filipinocafe #coffeewithculture #careerpivot #filipinofoodmovement #filipinowned #kollectivehustle #nylonmanila #complexph #asianownedbusiness #filipinoxnyc #cafestory #filamspotlight #womenwhobuild #coffeebreakculture

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POV: It’s a morning rush on a weekend at Ayala. Watch Chef Alex work the line without breaking a sweat as he cooks up some of our favorite breakfast menu items 😋🍳🥑

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🎶 If you don’t know, now ya know 🎶

GREETINGS FRIENDS! Sorry I’ve been super duper MIA, but yes, if you didn’t know already, I am now part of the team of @ayalacoffee’s cafe heading the kitchen as chef de cuisine, alongside Executive Chef Alex Ruperto of @vilma_nj!

We’re approaching the 3 month mark (already!) and what a ride it’s been so far - I am grateful to be immersed in a professional environment with like minded individuals, having the opportunity to grow, helping cultivate this experience alongside my peers through serving the community our Filipino inspired food, pastry and beverage creations.

All this being said, operations for Pito Provisions continue to be on hold, and my books are still closed for the foreseeable future. Hopefully I can revisit taking on cake orders on my own time, but in the meantime, catch me and the rest of our incredible team at Ayala Coffee!

❤️

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