What does it take to leave a stable career abroad and rebuild life from the ground up back home? In this inspiring episode, Chit Juan talks to Anatista Perez, a former OFW and civil engineer who returned to the Philippines to build Don Narciso Café-Restaurant in Claveria, Misamis Oriental. From failed ventures to finding purpose in coffee, Anatista shares how she turned setbacks into stepping stones and built a thriving business rooted in community and sustainability. Her story is a testament to resilience, continuous learning, and the power of going back to one’s roots to grow something meaningful.

GUEST BIO:

Anatista Perez is a civil engineer turned coffee entrepreneur and the founder of Don Narciso Café-Restaurant in Claveria, Misamis Oriental. A former OFW, she returned to the Philippines to build a community-centered business that uplifts local farmers and empowers women through the Misamis Oriental Women in Coffee movement. Her café is known for its made-from-scratch dishes, real herbs and spices, and growing use of organic farm produce. As a certified coffee professional, Anatista continues to prove that a business rooted in purpose can sustain both people and the planet.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• How returning from OFW life inspired Anatista to build a purpose-driven business in Claveria.
• The financial and emotional challenges of investing locally and starting from scratch.
• Lessons from early business failures that opened the path to coffee entrepreneurship.
• The value of learning continuously and involving her children in the family’s coffee journey.
• Her mission to uplift farmers, empower women, and promote sustainable livelihoods through tree planting.

QUOTES:

• Don Narciso is part of our life. — Anatista Perez
• What I like about your resilience, Anna, is that it doesn't get you down. You just move on. — Chit Juan
• Sometimes you plan on things and if it doesn't work, you really just have to look for another thing. — Anatista Perez
• I just want to bring coffee to the home. — Anatista Perez
• Every time I am into something, I really just want to hone myself first. — Anatista Perez
• The roasting and the brewing is the sexy part of coffee. — Chit Juan

LINKS or RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Connect with Anatista Perez on:

• Don Narciso Cafe Website - https://www.facebook.com/Donnarcisocafe
• Don Narciso Cafe Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/donnarcisocafe/

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Purchase Brew: Cafe, Coffee. Kape  at Echostore.ph.

For more information about Brew: Cafe, Coffee, Kape, visit the Food Writers Association of the Philippine Facebook Group.