Roi Peretz, co-owner and manager of Calma Cafe, shares his journey of building a unique hospitality experience in the Philippines. What began as a collaboration with a friend has grown into a dynamic venture that includes a coffee shop, restaurant, and an upcoming wellness center. Driven by creativity and a passion for delivering memorable experiences, Roi and his team have turned challenges into opportunities. From marketing in a remote location to adapting to diverse customer tastes, their story highlights the power of persistence and innovation. In this interview, Roi reflects on his entrepreneurial path and how Loyverse supports his daily operations.

Can you briefly describe what type of business you have and what inspired you to start your journey as an entrepreneur?
I run a coffee shop and a restaurant in the Philippines, and we are also in the process of opening a wellness center near the coffee shop. I didn’t originally start the business—the founder is my friend, and I decided to join him along the way. He began with a kite center, then expanded into a coffee shop and a restaurant, and now we are working on the wellness house.

I am a co-owner in some of the projects and a manager in others. The main inspiration has always been to bring a different kind of experience to the area where we operate. If I had to summarize what we are trying to do, it would be to create experiences that reflect what we love. Ultimately, our inspiration comes from what we can offer to people.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you started your business, and how did you overcome them?
The challenges were not really related to the POS system. We first opened the coffee shop, followed by the restaurant. One of the biggest challenges has been marketing and attracting people to our location. Since we are based on an island in the Philippines and not in a main tourist hotspot, it can be difficult to bring people in.

To overcome this, we invested in marketing, mainly through social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and to a lesser extent, Facebook. We focused on making the place visually attractive and creating a unique atmosphere. My partner is very artistic and creative, which helped us develop a distinctive style.

We made sure our products were not only high quality but also visually appealing for social media audiences. Additionally, we designed our space in a way that encourages customers to take photos and share them online, which helps us gain more exposure.

Another challenge has been adapting to the tastes of our customers, as we come from different countries. To address this, we experimented until we found what works best.

Can you describe the moment in your journey when you knew that the business was going in the right direction?
I would say it was when people started showing up and giving positive feedback. Customers began visiting because they had heard good things from friends, which indicated that we were on the right track.

A key sign of success is when people start posting about your business organically, and the number of customers grows without requiring heavy investment in marketing.

When did you start using Loyverse?
Before using Loyverse, we had another POS system. I first saw Loyverse in another business and decided to test how it would work for us.

The main feature that convinced me to switch was the ability to connect printers via Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. This allows me to connect multiple printers—for receipts, orders, and the bar. There are also other features that I haven’t fully explored yet, and some additional ones I would like to see in the future.

What other features do you use on a daily basis that have been helpful in your operations?
All the features in Loyverse have a significant impact on our operations, but the ability to use Wi-Fi printers really stands out.

Another advantage is that Loyverse is user-friendly, intuitive, and budget-friendly for new entrepreneurs. I appreciate that it allows users to create an account for free and test the features before fully implementing the system in their business.

Are you using any of the add-ons that Loyverse offers?
Yes, I use the Employee Management add-on because it is important to separate employee profiles and assign different access rights.

I chose not to use the inventory feature because it is difficult to track food inventory in a restaurant setting. However, I would like to explore more integrations in the future.

Do you register your customers in your Loyverse account?
No, I don’t register customers because we are located in a tourist area, and most of our customers do not return regularly.

While I would like to use the loyalty program, it is not very practical for our type of business.

What features would you like to see added to Loyverse?
I would like the ability to undo the cancellation of a receipt and to add receipts for past dates.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs reading this article?
I don’t have a lot of experience, but one thing I can say is that you just have to take the leap. You need to go for it and try.

From my experience, each project tends to take more time than expected. One important lesson I’ve learned is not to wait for everything to be perfect. Even if a project is only 60% ready, you can still start.

Looking ahead, what’s next for your business?
Right now, we are focused on stabilizing and growing our existing businesses, bringing in new ideas, and continuing to improve and upgrade our operation