Three local doctors start up a Petaling Jaya cafe with the aim of helping the less fortunate
It all started when young doctors Tan Pheng Hian, Wong Kian Boon and Ashvin Nair were taking a break after conducting a medical procedure. The three started talking, wondering how they could do more to help their patients besides providing medical care.
Through conversations, the friends realised they had another thing in common—all three were huge coffee lovers. This led to a wild-sounding idea: Why not start a café together, and use its proceeds to help the less fortunate?
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Several months later, this idea became a reality. The three came together as business partners, opening their café, Cardio Brew in Mahsa Avenue, Petaling Jaya, in September this year.
“We want to do more for our patients, and we think that helping them through the profits from our business is the sustainable way to go. Also, we want to empower coffee lovers to help people who require surgery, which led us to the idea of setting up this café,” says Tan.
They insist on only the best quality coffee beans. “We use premium imported coffee beans from Brazil for our espressos, and single origin beans from Brazil and Ethiopia for our pour-over coffee and cold brews. For our espresso tonics, we use fresh orange juice,” says Tan. RM0.20 from every cup of coffee sold will be channeled towards helping patients unable to afford the costs of surgery.
Despite being founded by doctors, Cardio Brew does not have an outright medical theme. However, the cafe has a good selection of healthy and plant-based options to encourage a more mindful lifestyle. “Studies have proven that a healthy dose of caffeine boosts cardiovascular health. It promotes heart contractility, or in other words, improves the pumping action of the heart, as long as it’s taken in a reasonable amount,” says Wong.
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