Have you been to Luna Gazette, Cebu’s café for storytellers?

2026-03-07 - 01:13

CEBU, Philippines – In the heart of Cebu City, the Luna Gazette café stands as the meeting ground of writers and creatives alike. Opened in January 2025, the Luna Gazette offers a cozy space for coffee lovers and travellers stopping by Atua Midtown, a local hub for art along F. Manalo Street in Cebu’s capital city. Like most cafés, the Luna Gazette serves frappés, espresso-based drinks, sweet treats and even rice meals. But for those with curious minds, the café also hosts a unique bunch of storytellers that Cebu has “yet to see.” COZY ATMOSPHERE. The café’s aesthetic highlights pastel colors and features retro-styled furniture and decor. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler A gazette at its heart Inspired by real-life events and people, the café’s “heart” stems from its fictional patrons, the proud staff of the Luna Gazette — an imagined publication by café founder Mark Joseph Deutsch. “No one would know who they were but this place was their cafeteria. You’d find pieces of the gazette and some photos of the staff,” Deutsch said. Deutsch is an experienced creative. He and wife Johanna Velasco Deutsch are the artistic duo that founded Happy Garaje, a Cebu City-based collective of artists and designers dedicated to “bringing stories and dreams to life.” “As an artist, I think my thing is that I want to contribute a sense of wonder,” the designer said. FOUNDER. Behind the “publication” concept of Luna Gazette is none other than Happy Garaje co-founder Mark Joseph Deutsch. In terms of spreading “wonder,” Deutsch explained that the Luna Gazette café draws its aesthetic and narrative style from American filmmaker Wes Anderson’s cinematography style and real-life journalism. “When I was very young, my favorite channel was CNN. I just really loved it so much. My dad worked in hotels and we kind of moved around a lot but to me, the anchor to my daily life was watching CNN,” Deutsch said. The café houses little figurines that represent the Luna Gazette publication’s staff, vintage typewriters, and paintings dedicated to veteran journalists like Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour, chief international anchor of CNN’s global affairs show, “Amanpour.” GAZETTE STAFF. Toys made from Happy Garaje are displayed on a shelf by the counter. These little figurines represent the Luna Gazette publication staff. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler HOMAGE. Mark Deutsch’s special homage painting of veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour hangs on one of Luna Gazette’s walls. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler More stories to tell For the café’s owner, the vision is to fill the Luna Gazette with more “wonder.” “We’re working on a first publication also called Luna Gazette and it’s basically just all opinion pieces — people on their experiences in Cebu,” Deutsch told Rappler. The first publication would provide café-goers and tourists with a good view of what it’s like to be an artist in Cebu and where to go for their creative journeys. “I never got into (journalism) but I’ve always thought that the job was exciting. You make a positive impact and I mean, more so now,” Deutsch added. VINTAGE. Deutsch says café-goers create their own poems and literary pieces using Luna Gazette’s typewriters, and the writeups are often pinned on the “publication’s bulletin board.” Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler The owner shared that the café would undergo more changes as they continue to develop the space over time with more fourth-estate-themed displays and art pieces. Deutsch also hopes to feature more of Cebu’s local writers and journalists in his café, drawing more attention to the vibrant community of Cebu’s proud media. “Luna Gazette is a publication that isn’t really a publication but at the same time, is a café where the people, the owners of the café are fans of journalism and journalists, who want it to be a place that brings focus to the profession,” Deutsch concluded. TEAM. The Luna Gazette’s very own team that keeps the whole café comfy and ready to receive writers and artists from all walks of life. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler – Rappler.com