More home-grown coffee brands are sprouting in the regions giving the foreign coffee franchises, which are using imported coffee, a run for their money.Pacita U. Juan, co-chair of the Philippine Coffee Board Inc., said that coffee shops in the regions using their own coffee produce are gaining popularity more than the foreign coffee brands.For instance, Juan cited the strong presence of the Caf Barako, Caf de Lipa, Kalinga Brewery, Bean Bag Coffee, Le Bistro and Caf Club 101 in General Santos versus the foreign brands.Juan, also a consultant of the newcomer Le Bistro, said this new coffee shop is opening three more outlets before the end of the year or a total of 13 branches in all.
All these outlets are company-owned and would be expanded through licensing agreements. Each store entails an investment of P2 million to P5 million with a flagship in Salcedo Village in Makati.In contrast, the foreign coffee shops have dwindled in numbers.For instance, the Starbucks has closed down six branches while Figaro has closed 8 and has 65 branches now while Gloria Jeans has now 29 from 35 branches.