Bo’s released its special holiday items at its flagship location in Makati’s Glorietta 5. Most of the items use Filipino ingredients, highlighting the idea of Philippine Christmas – which is just as well, because they’ll be in Canada by this time next year.

In a tasting on Nov. 6, Bo’s showed off its Puto Bumbong Cheesecake, Halo-Halo Cake, and returning holiday favorite Bibingka Cheesecake and Mini Bibingkas. As for drinks, there’s the Dark Mocha Macadamia Froccino. They’ve also entered a partnership with local candy bar brand Choc Nut, hence the new Choc Nut Series featuring the Choc Nut Mocha Froccino, Iced Choc Nut Latte, and Hot Choc Nut Latte.

“That’s really part of our mantra: putting the spotlight on Philippine coffee, and also that’s part of our social commitment as well, to partner with Filipino brands and bring them together with us as we grow as a company,” said Bo’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President Rachel Fallarme. Bo’s is known for partnerships with local coffee growers, such as those in Sagada, Benguet, Bukidnon, and Davao.

O CANADA
The year is ending sweetly for Bo’s: according to Ms. Fallarme they currently have 150 stores worldwide and are targeting to open 10 stores in the next six weeks, with 35 more to open next year.

And they are spreading their wings even wider.

While they already have a presence in the Middle East in Qatar and the UAE, they are planning to open more, rounding out the number to 20.

“Next year, the good news is that we’re going to open in Canada,” she said in a speech.

In a group interview, Ms. Fallarme said that the franchise deal means opening 10 stores in the Greater Toronto Area in 10 years. “That’s the commitment, but we do have four already identified,” she said, and the first ones will be open in about a year or two. The master franchise for the Canadian venture will be operated by a Filipino-Canadian immigrant family who visited the Philippines after several years, and liked Bo’s in Pangasinan so much they decided to open their own in their new home, she said.

“Not many Filipino companies succeed on the global stage. We’d like to think of ourselves as the Jollibee of coffee,” she said, referring to the local fast food chain’s success in opening branches abroad.

GROWING AT HOME
“One of our strategies is really to saturate the Philippines,” said Ms. Fallarme. “What we have done is to promote Bo’s Coffee as a good franchise business. That’s how we are able to enter certain markets, especially those putting up stores in first-in-market locations.” This is why they are the only national brand in Marawi (Ms. Fallarme also counts this as their biggest branch).

Bo’s was founded in 1996 by Steve Benitez, with its first branch opening in Cebu.

It could be a steep hill for Bo’s to climb, when one realizes that their direct competitors in the Philippines are international brands. While she admits that the international brands have the advantage due to their sheer size, Bo’s still has one card up their sleeve.

“Other international brands would be No. 1 in terms of recall, primarily because of the number of stores they have,” she said of the results of a recently conducted market study, noting that one international chain has three times more stores than they do (Bo’s has 136 in the Philippines at present).

“In that study, which we are happy to say, we are No. 1 in terms of the taste.” — Joseph L. Garcia

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