Pancho Café warns against ‘unverified’ info amid double-booking controversy

“We would like to assure everyone that we are addressing the matter privately and directly with the parties involved. We believe that concerns of this nature are best handled through respectful communication, mutual understanding, and a fair process,” Pancho Café said in a statement on November 5.

Pancho Café also cautioned the public against spreading “unverified information” while efforts to resolve the issue were ongoing.

The complaints stem from an incident involving Louise Villacorta, an event organizer and book influencer, who claimed a representative of the café invited her to collaborate on an event. Villacorta’s book club event on August 30 supposedly coincided with another event at the Kapitolyo branch, which she says violated her memorandum of agreement with the café.

Café photos from August 30 show Villacorta’s book club event in one corner, while a painting workshop organized by Studio ArtFix was held in another corner.

Villacorta said she submitted a formal complaint to Pancho Café on August 31, requesting a meeting with management to discuss the alleged breach and agree on the next steps. She said in an Instagram post on October 20 that the café had not responded despite several follow-ups. Studio ArtFix has not commented on the issue publicly.

Other netizens who claim to have had similar experiences with the café also expressed disappointment, saying they received an apology supposedly generated with artificial intelligence after raising concerns with the café.

“I have a lot of negative things to say about this café. They just sent me an AI-generated apology graphic,” said a Facebook commenter under radar’s initial report from October 23.

“Issue nanaman. Sana it’s not another AI-generated graphic sent via chat like what I received,” said a Threads user.

With Pancho Café now saying it is addressing the concerns directly with the parties involved, the organizers’ accounts and the café’s promised resolution remain central to how the controversy unfolds.