PBA Cafe: A place PBA fans, players can call their own
Finally, there’s one place PBA players and fans alike can call their own.
The PBA inaugurated the first ever PBA Cafe, a 1,000-square meter estate on Metrowalk in Pasig, where the league eyes to foster fellowship between the players and even the fans.
“It’s been more than two years in the making. We had a concept for the purpose of partnering with our sponsors, and the group of Jaime Alcantara approached is and said they’ll take it up. They were the ones who took the challenge,” said PBA president Chito Salud. “It’s really a beautiful place where you can enjoy yourselves.”
“Andito na lahat. It’s a place where you can dine, drink, watch games, and play games,” said PBA business development director Rhose Montreal. “If we can’t have our own arena, at least we can have this.”
The space, which was formerly a bar and billiards place, was transformed to this big basketball dining hub for the benefit of all the PBA aficionados.
“Para sa lahat ng PBA players and fans ito. Anybody who loves the sport can go here,” Alcantara said.
The PBA Cafe has 450-seating capacity which could accommodate as much as 600 people at maximum with a open bar for drinks, special board rooms and meeting rooms, 50 television units where fans can watch the games live and relive vintage games, a wall where jerseys of legendary PBA players hang, a stage where a live band will be playing six times a week, a coffee area, a PBA store, three “pop-a-shot” stations for children, and a half court.
“You can eat and, at the same time, play. We’ll also have viewing parties every time may live game, and after, we’ll show the vintage games,” Alcantara said.
And fittingly, the first task at hand for the resto-bar was hosting the Chairman’s Appreciation Night on Thursday, which also coincided with the birthday of PBA chairman Robert Non.
“Ang ganda,” said two-time MVP James Yap. “I’m sure click na click ito kasi pwede kang mag-shooting habang naghihintay ka ng pagkain. Talagang para kang nasa game sa dami ng TV.”
San Miguel coach Leo Austria added, “it’s really beautiful at ang luwag. Makikita mo naman na pag nakita ng marami, mae-engganyo sila pumunta dito. Yung mga sports minded, I’m sure na pupunta dito.”
“It’s really nice,” said Salud. “I wish our partners all the luck in our first ever PBA Cafe.”
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