PTT to resume opening of Café Amazon stores
By Adam J. Ang
THE Philippine unit of Thai state-owned PTT Public Co. Ltd. will resume opening Café Amazon stores that were supposed to open during the first six months of 2020 once the business situation has normalized after closing them during the lockdown period.
“We are currently assessing the situation as to how long this pandemic would affect the business. But some of our stores that are supposed to open this first and second quarter will still open once the situation has normalized,” PTT Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Thitiroj Rergsumran told BusinessWorld.
In December last year, PTT Philippines announced its plan to open 15 to 20 of its coffee shop brand in the country.
The oil company has yet to see how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has sickened 6 million people globally so far, would affect its expansion target for the year.
PTT Philippines on Tuesday said it reopened 11 of its coffee shops in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as the government eased the community quarantine imposed across the country since June 1.
The stores are currently accepting deliveries and take-outs, while they still await the guidelines from the government on taking in dine-in customers.
“But as soon as we get the go signal from authorities to allow dine-in, we will do it gradually,” Mr. Rergsumran said.
Currently, there are 17 Café Amazon shops nationwide. The 6 stores that remain close are being sanitized in preparation for their reopening.
Café Amazon made its entry in the Philippines in 2016, opening at PTT SCTEx station, after PTT Philippines secured a master franchise from its parent company.
