Pickup Coffee eyes 20 stores a month in aggressive rollout

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

PICKUP COFFEE, a fast-growing local coffee chain backed by a grab-and-go model, is planning one of the most aggressive expansions in the country’s food-and-beverage sector, with a target of opening about 20 outlets a month over the next two to three years.

“We want to open at least 20 stores per month for the next 24 to 36 months,” Pickup Coffee President and Chief Executive Officer Francis E. Flores told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of an event last week.

The company has 420 stores nationwide as of August but sees large untapped markets in Northern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Most branches are clustered in central business districts, leaving opportunities in malls, hospitals, airports and dense transport hubs, Mr. Flores said.

Launched in 2022, Pickup Coffee brands itself as a tech-enabled coffee startup offering premium-style drinks at lower price points.

Its green kiosks and carts serve espresso-based drinks, milk-based beverages, matcha, teas, cold brew, frappes, yogurt drinks and pastries. The company’s strongest customer base comes from business process outsourcing workers seeking affordable coffee during late-night and early-morning shifts.

Beyond its compact kiosks, Pickup Coffee plans to expand its full café format, Pickup Prime. Two branches are open — one at Ayala Malls Vertis North in Quezon City and another at SM Seaside City Cebu — with a third scheduled to open in Bonifacio Global City by mid-2026.

The company also operates about 50 stores in Mexico, part of its push to grow beyond the Philippine market.

Pickup Coffee forecasts sustained demand as the Philippines remains one of Southeast Asia’s largest coffee-consuming markets.

“Young people are always on the move and have more active lifestyles. We see out-of-home coffee consumption continuing to grow,” Mr. Flores said.

He added that the country’s startup landscape is likely to expand as more Filipinos, especially younger workers, show increased interest in entrepreneurship.

“In previous generations, the goal was to climb the corporate ladder,” he said. “Many Gen Zs now want to build their own businesses. When you talk to graduating students, a lot of them prefer to work for a startup.”