Jollibee Group Opens the First Common Man Coffee Roasters Café in PH

MANILA, Philippines. –The Jollibee Group is off to a great start this 2024 with the opening of the first Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) cafe in the Philippines at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City last January 11, 2024. This milestone opening is part of the Jollibee Group’s aggressive growth plans this year, consistent with its vision of becoming one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.  

“We’re excited to bring the Common Man Coffee Roasters in the country and give the community an elevated café experience,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group’s President and CEO. 

“Common Man’s consciously sourced coffee and numerous deliciously healthy brunch options contribute to this experience and help fulfill our mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone. We invite everyone to come visit our first ever Common Man Coffee Roasters café,” he added.

Championing specialty coffee & brunch

Established in 2013, Common Man Coffee Roasters aims to champion specialty coffee and the best all-day brunch and has expanded from Singapore to Malaysia, and now the Philippines. It also roasts and sells coffee beans and operates the Coffee Barista Academy in Singapore and Malaysia, which provides coffee training to baristas and coffee enthusiasts.

In the Philippines, the breadth of the café’s menu includes different types of specialty coffee, bannered by the Nitro Honey Oat Latte and Filter Brew. Its brunch is thoughtfully crafted, headlined by the Common Man Full Breakfast that has generous servings of sausage, bacon, portobello mushroom, hash browns, house-made baked chorizo beans, and greens along with artisanal sourdough. The crowd favorite Common Man Beef Brisket Benedict packs an indulging punch of savory in its tender braised beef topped by poached eggs and creamy hollandaise.  

The first location in the country, which has a modern, casual, “come as you are” ambiance, also features its own roastery. 

"Having a roastery on site for us to showcase the roasting method will not only help the customers understand the coffee process better, but it will also offer a unique dining and sensory experience for them," said Koon Beng Chua, CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, which operates Common Man Coffee Roasters in Singapore.

Celebrating partnerships

The Jollibee Group announced its joint venture with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) through FCJB Foods Inc. to own and operate Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines in August 2023. The Jollibee Group owns 60 percent in FCJB Foods Inc. 

"This is the first café from our partnership with the Spa Esprit Group and we’re looking forward to expanding the Common Man Coffee Roasters experience to more people. The strong collaboration between the two partners is very evident and is greatly rewarded by the enjoyment we see from people upon entering the café and upon tasting our menu selections.  We recognize the increasingly discerning palate of Filipinos and we’re here to delight them," said Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer, during the store's inauguration and opening.

The inauguration rites were attended by Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Constance See, Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, Spa Esprit Group CEO and Common Man Coffee Roasters’ co-founder Koon Beng Chua, Spa Esprit Food Group’s General Manager Michael Bovell, Ayala Malls President Mariana Zobel de Ayala, and Ayala Land Estates Group Deputy Head Chris Maglanoc. The Jollibee Group was represented by its President and CEO, Ernesto Tanmantiong, its Chief Business Support Officer and Chief Real Estate & Design Officer, William Tan Untiong, and its Chief Business Officer, Joseph Tanbuntiong, along with the President and Group Head for Greenwich, Red Ribbon, and Foreign Franchised Brands, JJ Alano, and AVP and Head of Business Development for Foreign Franchised Brands, Ned Bandojo.

The Common Man Coffee Roasters at Ayala Triangle is open every Monday to Sunday from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

To learn more about Common Man Coffee Roasters Philippines, visit their website, or follow them on social media via Facebook and Instagram. 

Pocky and PICKUP COFFEE team up for Father’s Day #PickMeUpChallenge

MANILA, Philippines, (June 15, 2023) – Bond with dad this Father’s Day with the Pocky X PICKUP COFFEE #PickMeUpChallenge. One of the most memorable ways dads bond with their children is by carrying them. It helps build a loving connection between them and creates an environment of warmth and security for the child.

It’s a simple bonding activity, yet it plays an important part in the child’s development. That’s why this Father’s Day, Pocky — in partnership with PICKUP COFFEE— will celebrate this loving act of dads carrying their child with the #PickMeUpChallenge.

Starting from June 11 to 24, 2023, you and your dad can go to select PICKUP COFFEE branches and get a free Pocky when you buy a Babyccino and take a photo of your dad carrying you or vice versa.

To get a free Pocky with your Babyccino, head over to these PICKUP COFFEE branches:

• Lucky Chinatown Mall

• Festival Supermall, Filinvest

• Ayala Mall Vertis North

• UP Town 

• Robinsons Magnolia

• 2 Torre Taft

• Market! Market! 

• Glorietta 4 Park

• Cloverleaf Ayala Mall

• Alabang Town Center SYKES

You can also join the online promotion on Jim Bacarro’s Instagram page (@jimbacarro). All you need to do is to upload your photo on Instagram or Facebook and be one of the 10 winners to walk away with our exclusive Pocky x PICKUP COFFEE Father’s Day Gift, which includes 2 free regular beverages and Php 500 worth of gift certificates from PICKUP COFFEE, and a special Pocky Heart Kit. 

To join the online promotion, just upload a photo of your dad carrying you or vice versa with the hashtags #PickMeUpChallenge #ShareHappiness #GLICOxPICKUPCOFFEE and tag @pickupcoffeeph @glico_ph and @PockyPH on Facebook or Instagram. You must also follow @pickupcoffeeph @glico_ph and @PockyPH to join our promotion. Father-child duos of all ages are welcome to join! 

What are you waiting for? Time to tell your dad to come with you to PICKUP COFFEE and bond like old times by letting him carry you! Join the #PickMeUpChallenge and share happiness this Father’s Day with Pocky and PICKUP COFFEE.

Ilocos Sur Coffee wins BEST in Nationwide Competition

Bigger market opportunities await the coffee industry of Region 1 as the locally produced Robusta coffee from the province of Ilocos Sur dominated the top five (5) spots in the 2021 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC). The entries for the Robusta Category submitted by coffee farmers from the province were hailed as best coffee during the PCQC virtual awarding ceremony held on May 26, 2021.

The robusta coffee entry of Mr. Mabini C. Ubuan from the municipality of Sigay bagged the 1st place award. Coffee farmers who landed the other top spots were: Ms. Marielle Gannad, Gregorio Del Pilar- 2nd place; Ms. Erlinda Dao-ayan, Gregorio Del Pilar- 3rd place; Mr. Rodolfo Aciong, Quirino- 4th place; and Ms. Juana Bitongan, 5th place.

Now on its 4th year, the event which was co-organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia, Inc. (BACAA) and the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), aims to aims to unite, empower and nurture the Philippine coffee community through friendly competitions.

National Industry Cluster for Coffee Coordinator and DTI CAR Regional Director Myrna Pablo called for the institutionalization of the PCQC. “Our coffee industry has gone a long way. More stakeholders are joining. Let us support the inclusive growth of the Philippine coffee industry.” she added.

The new normal situation brought about by the pandemic COVID19, had brought challenges in the industry. However, with the strong support and united efforts from the public and private stakeholders, Ms. Cherry Cruz, Chairperson of PCQC, believes that no pandemic could stop the celebration of the growing and improving Philippine Coffee Industry.

The competition was opened to coffee of Philippine origin, submitted by farmers and entities engaged in coffee farming nationwide. The entries were judged from grading, roasting and cupping. The competition was categorized into different types of coffee; robusta, arabica, liberica and excelsa and the mixed category. 103 entries nationwide were assessed for the competition, 13 of which came from Region 1, particularly in Ilocos Sur.

Primarily aiming to strengthen the coffee industry in the country, the competition paves way for Philippine Specialty Coffee to be recognized in the Global coffee industry by performing evaluations aligned with globally accepted grading and profiling protocols and standards of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). Moreover, to make the locally produced coffee known in the global market thereby opening more marketing and better pricing opportunities to Philippine coffee farmers.

In Region 1, coffee is one of the priority industries being developed by DTI. It grows in the upland municipalities of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union. Fifty-four (54) percent of coffee produced is Robusta while thirty-nine (39) percent is Arabica. Excelsa and Liberica varieties, accounts for about six (6) percent and one (1) percent respectively of production in the region. The crop was basically grown by the residents for home consumption. However, through the years, areas planted for coffee significantly increased due to the distribution of coffee seedlings by various government agencies and appreciation of its market potential by coffee farmers and stakeholders.