HANNA PATRICIA PARAS

Patco Cafe: A Story of Resilience and Reinvention

There have been many moments in my life that have changed me. One moment in particular was in August 2020: Patco Cafe was launched as an attempt to reconnect with community members who were lost during the pandemic. 

About two months before that, I was in a car accident that gave me a concussion.

Everything hurt—turning my head, bright lights, loud sounds, and even thinking. I had lapses in my memory, often forgetting conversations or entire events. It took a toll on my studies—I dropped a mandatory course that would have kept me in my economics major. It left me feeling discouraged and ashamed, further isolating myself from the world. In short, it was one of the lowest points of my life.  

As I was recovering, I began to create coffee drinks and gave them to friends, as I was not allowed to consume any caffeine. After many hours of research and planning, I decided to launch Patco on Instagram. In all honesty, it was a way to cope, masked as a way to reconnect with the world. As the coffee and tea delivery service continued, the community grew as well. Patco was not planned in its entirety; I was making it up as I went, improving and evolving the “why and how” of the business.  

Patco’s operations continued, and from 2020 to now, many changes have been made.

While the “why” of community building became more concrete,
the “how” began to shift.

Over time, the team grew, and our reach in different communities expanded. We had many opportunities for events, pop-ups, temporary shops, and collaborations. The community has now grown larger, giving many others the ability to connect and collaborate with one another. 

When I first put Patco into the world, I had many doubts. I feared it wasn’t good enough, that my reasoning wasn’t impactful enough, that I was doing it for myself, that it wasn’t unique enough, that it wasn’t meeting standards, that I didn’t know enough.

Just. Not. Enough. 

And you know what? It was true. I didn’t know enough about coffee. I was doing it for myself. I didn’t have my “why” solidified. I couldn’t even explain the product to someone for quite some time. In fact, I wasn’t confident enough to even tell others I had this small business. I hid behind a screen for about six to seven months before doing a face reveal.  

Why? Why did it have to be perfect?

Why did I feel like I had to produce an outcome that met all expectations from the very beginning? At the time, I struggled a lot with the idea of doing enough. Maybe it was a mixture of all the failures I had in such a short time. I felt like a disappointment.

Over time, I realized and began to accept that it would never be enough. That was okay and that was great news. It meant there was always space for growth and improvement. Perfection was impossible, and starting was the only way to move forward. I slowly began to focus on what mattered – community – instead of outcomes and expectations.

What a privilege to experience failure and have the opportunity to try again.
And again. And again.  

Throughout the four-year journey of Patco, there have been many moments where I doubted myself and wanted to quit. There were moments where I struggled to find balance between school, work, social life, and the business. There were also moments where I wanted to give up—close Patco, quit my job, or just drop out of university. 

Beyond the brand and what the world sees, behind closed doors, the most important moment was the decision to challenge myself. Anytime I stepped out of my comfort zone, it was uncomfortable, but often necessary for growth.

Everything about Patco was uncomfortable. And I am so grateful to have learned so many things throughout the process. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people who I have met throughout this journey, for they are the reason I continue evolving Patco.

When we do hard things, our grit and resilience grow. When we do hard things, we rack up another win for our improved self. When we challenge ourselves, we prove to ourselves that we are capable of doing even harder things.

Check out @Patco Cafe