Farewell to Mary Grace Café Greenbelt 2
While it is true that a new beginning follows every ending, it’s hard not to feel a sense of sadness when saying goodbye to something that has been a part of your life and has brought you great memories.
Adrian Dimacali, son of Mary Grace Dimacali, founder of the Mary Grace Café, posted a photo of their now closed Greenbelt 2 branch, their flagship store for 12 years.
The branch, which opened in May 2011, marked their initial venture into a more expansive layout, featuring a seating capacity of 159 and an overall leased space of 303 sqm. This covered the ground floor (153.92 sqm), mezzanine (76.50 sqm), and al fresco section (73.53 sqm).
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As per Dimacali, the director of the much-loved café, the entire mall is undergoing redevelopment beginning January 2, prompting the permanent closure of what they fondly refer to as “our beloved GB.”
Mary Grace Cafe's logo, signs, equipment, furniture, fixtures, toys, books, spiritual objects, hanging lamps, and mechanical birds have been taken away and will be used to adorn new cafes. “Only a shell remains now. And even that will be gone soon,” he wrote with a touch of melancholy.
Dimacali reminisced how his younger brother, Gabby, believed in the potential of the space, previously occupied by Margarita Fores’ fine dining concept Pepato.
“I told [Gabby] it was too big and that we should stick to small, efficient spaces. I told him if the esteemed Gaita didn’t want that space anymore, why should we?” he recounted their conversation.
Much to his astonishment, Greenbelt 2 emerged as Mary Grace Café’s strongest branch. “Even as we opened new cafés that were bigger and more eye-catching, this grand old dame would come out on top year after year,” he shared.
Reflecting on Greenbelt 2’s significance, he shared, “GB was our gold standard and she made us see what was possible. She was an academy and a proving ground for our managers today. She gave us wings to fly. She pushed us to dream big. She made us believe. Now she is gone, and things will never be the same, at least not for me.”
