Cafe Racer: Where gearheads and foodies meet

Located in a strip at the North Reclamation Area known for its racing history, Cafe Racer is a great place for those who love everything about automobiles and great food.
CDN photo/Tonee Despojo

From passion, to pet project, to fruition of a long-time dream. This was the path that the automobile-inspired concept diner called Café Racer of renowned car enthusiast Charlie Pages took en route to providing Cebuanos one of the most unique dining experiences in town today.
In a concept that is nothing short in ingenious, Café Racer, located along a strip at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City known for hosting auto and motorcycle drag races years ago, manages to feed the fancy of car addicts in and around town.

A Volkswagen Beetle’s front end is used as a grilling station for the diner’s delicious roasted specialties.
CDN photo/Tonee Despojo

What with innovative details such as the 1951 Chevy Bel-Air that greets visitors as they pull into the lot that once housed a gasoline station; a Volkswagen camper van that serves as the cashier’s station; old license plates that were turned into table tops; oil barrels that were transformed into comfy seats; and gas pumps that pump out fuel of the fun kind—beer.
There are also outdoor tables made out of old car hoods; a front end of a Volkswagen beetle that was turned into a grill station to an actual 1979 Café Racer that proudly sits in one of the corners of the café, Café Racer is the canvas of the automobile art that Pages, a founding member of BMW Car Club of Cebu more popularly known as Bimmercebu, is slowly painting Cebu with.

One highlight of the diner is the gas pump that fills up pitchers of beer.
(CDN photo/Tonee Despojo)

For Pages, he of the famed Pages family that has delightfully provided the city with one quality dining experience after another, Café Racer is the culmination of a passion that was handed down from his father, the venerable Bunny Pages; a five-years-in-the-making masterpiece that pushed the boundaries of creativity and ingenuity, and his own penchant for restoration and old school artistry.
“I’ve always been into cars and I wanted to have a diner, a typical diner. I fused in my love for automobiles and having a diner,” shared Pages in an interview with the Cebu Daily News motoring team one weekday evening over a sumptuous meal of barbecued pork and isol, Philly Cheese Steak and a Monte Cristo sandwich. Joining him was his lovely wife, Mitzi.
“It’s really my passion for restoring and making stuff. This is my baby, my way of showing my artsy side. I’m not an artist but this is my way of expressing myself,” Pages continued. “I want people, even those who are not into cars, to see something new.”

Old license plates used as table tops and oil barrels made into comfortable seats.
CDN photo/Tonee Despojo

CAR CLUB HUB
The place is unique in every way, from the name, which Pages says he derived from motorcycles optimized for speed rather than comfort —for quick rides over short distances. The name was developed among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s, specifically the Rocker or “Ton-Up Boys” subculture, where the bikes were used for short races between cafés.
And so far, Café Racer has gotten rave reviews from local and foreign patrons, for both the ambience and the top notch gastronomical fare, all bringing Pages closer to yet another goal of his – to make his establishment a hub for all things automobile-related, a center for Cebuanos who share his passion for things that go vroom!

A Volkswagen camper van that serves as the cashier’s station is among the highlights of the diner.
CDN photo/Tonee Despojo

“I like talking to people who have the same passion as me. I belong to the BMW Club and we meet every Wednesday and we’re always looking for a place to meet. Now, we meet here. A lot of clubs, they’re starting to come and meet here. That makes me feel good,” said Pages, who also believes that Café Racer is far from being a finished product.
Already an Americana diner with a fully-functioning carwash to the side, Pages says that he has a lot more in store in the coming months, novel ideas that would prove that Café Race wouldn’t be just a novelty and a flavor of the month.
“You have to come up with something new and make it interesting. You’re not only selling food but the whole experience. This one is unique. You have to keep it fresh.”

Another unique detail are these vehicle transmission housings that were converted into sinks for the wash area. Notice the mirrors? They’re actually radiator assemblies.
CDN PHOTO/Tonee Despojo

A carwash area is also available for those who want to have their cars cleaned while enjoying the diner.
CDN PHOTO/Tonee Despojo

Some tables outside are made of used hoods of automobiles.
CDN PHOTO/Tonee Despojo