Anthony and Tippy Go at the GooglyGooeys Play & Create Craft Shop. Jeeves de Veyra
MANILA -- The GooglyGooeys break out of the Internet and into the real world with their cool combination of crafts and coffee.
GooglyGooeys started out as a feel-good comics blog by husband-and-wife team Anthony and Tippy Go. The comics gained quite a following, and the couple found themselves partnering with major brands to provide content.
Eventually, the Gos had to hold off on the comics because of parenthood. However, Tippy continued to showcase art and even did classes online during the pandemic. Because of this, they became de facto art mavens as their audience kept on asking what they use for their work.
This led them to start an online business in the middle of the pandemic, selling the actual supplies and equipment they used in producing their artwork.
As the restrictions loosened, they took the next step in opening a brick-and-mortar shop. From supplies to pens and paintbrushes, the shop has these on their shelves and on their tables. The couple made expensive items like printers and cutters more accessible to aspiring crafters with a "try-before-you-buy scheme," allowing them to rent it at the shop.
The idea behind this is that artists and crafters can do one-off projects to try out the equipment. As their business prospers, they can eventually make the big leap to buying one for themselves.
A look inside the shop. Jeeves de Veyra
So, where does coffee fit into all this?
The couple noticed that most of their customers at the GooglyGooeys Play & Create Craft Shop are women. They thought of coffee as something they can enjoy with their partners.
On one corner of the shop is Anthony’s coffee bar with a high-end San Remo YOU espresso machine as its centerpiece. This coffee machine enables would-be baristas to fiddle around with all the variables that go into making the perfect cup of coffee.
All the machines from San Remo and Delonghi in the shops are for sale. And just like the art equipment, aspiring craft coffee brewers can try before buying.
Anthony Go at the shop's coffee corner. Jeeves de Veyra
Also on the shelves are beans from Cebu-based Good Cup Coffee Co., though they do plan to have their own coffee in the future as well as some other well-known brands abroad.
Apart from the crafts and coffee, the shop will be a venue for talks and workshops. A sample of this is their upcoming Creative Talks session on May 27. They will have guest artists who will share personal creative journeys, challenges, lessons, and their artistic processes. Featured in the next session are Tippy Go for multimedia, Mickey Velarde for watercolor, and Mansy Abesamis for jewelry pottery and paper cutting.
The GooglyGooeys Play & Create Craft Shop is located at C101 Beijing Tower, The Capital Towers, E. Rodriguez Sr Ave., Quezon City. It is open from Monday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. More details on scheduled talks and workshops are available on the ship's social media pages.