Homegrown coffee chain pursues overseas expansion

CEBU, Philippines —  Despite challenges in social distancing that have affected the profitability of dine-in stores like coffee shops, Cebu-grown Bo’s Coffee is opening more stores overseas.

“We are now on a solid negotiation talks with partners in different countries, particularly in the Middle East,” said Bo’s Coffee founder Steve Benitez.

In fact, Bo’s will be adding five more stores in Qatar this year. Currently, it has three Bo’s Coffee shops in Qatar.

In Qatar, Bo’s Coffee is in partnership with Qatari company Almajed, as the country prepares for 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Benitez said that while the pandemic has brought companies and brands to innovate and re-imagine operations, such as engaging the online platform, there is still growth in physical stores.

The Cebuano-owned coffee shop brand will enter more territories in the middle eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and parts of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In the Philippines, Benitez said the company had to close some of its outlets, especially those that are located near schools and university zones. The introduction of online learning has affected the sales and traffic volumes in nearby shops, he said.

With this global expansion, Bo’s hopes to bring to the world market, not only the aroma of Philippine-coffee, but also the local products made by Filipino artisans.

 Bo’s Coffee has been promoting and supporting locally made products, particularly those produced by social enterprises by showcasing their merchandizes in all its stores.