Bacha Coffee taps into PH’s coffee culture with 2 new stores in Manila

MAKATI CITY — Popular high-end luxury coffee brand Bacha Coffee had just landed in Manila, opening stores in Mall of Asia in Pasay City and in Greenbelt 3 in Makati City this month. It is betting on the Philippines’ strong coffee culture to turn its label into a household name, its owner and chief commercial officer Maranda Barnes said. 

Founded in Marrakech, Morocco in 1910, the brand has since expanded across 16 countries with over 50 branches.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Barnes shared the company’s optimism when it comes to growth here in the Philippines.

“We’ve been expanding the brand over the past 8 years, from Morocco to all around the world, and I think what’s really unique about the Philippines is first of all there’s an incredible coffee culture here,” Barnes said.

“They know their coffee, they’re coffee diners and even at 8 pm, which you don’t see nowhere else in the world, there are people queuing  for coffee… That’s a wonderful foundation to bring in a coffee brand,” she added.

Barnes also believes that the Filipinos’ hospitality could make the brand appeal to local consumers. She said the brand carries gifting options that can apply to anyone. 

With tons of competition in the market, Barnes said Bacha Coffee’s unique offering could draw Filipinos to the brand, adding that the company has the largest collection of over 200 varieties of 100 percent Arabica specialty and rare coffee sourced from 35 different countries. Coffee beans are also sourced, graded and roasted in-house, Barnes said. Coffee lovers can purchase single origin, fine-flavored, and decaf variants in their stores.

“I don’t there there’s any other place in the Philippines where you can retail, buy, purchase over 200 different kinds of beans, have them ground the way you prepare your coffee, have them packed perhaps in a little customized canister or gift wrapped,” she explained. 

“We want a curious consumer. The reason we have so many is because we want to do our tour of the world of coffee. At Bacha Coffee, we’ll have multiple different varieties from the same country… So you can come back, five, six times, always get a coffee from Costa Rica, but a different one. So it allows you to expand what you like,” she added.

Known for its luxurious interiors decked in gold and orange, it’s easy to think that Bacha Coffee was made for the elite. It was even referred to as the “Hermes” of coffee. But Barnes believes Bacha Coffee could be for anyone. 

“The last thing we want is for any Filipino customer to come in and feel intimidated by the brand. We want to elevate the experience inside the boutique to showcase the exceptional quality of coffees that we have, not to push people away and make them think that ‘oh, this is maybe not for me, it’s a bit pricey,’ because we really have a coffee for everyone,” she said.

For dine-in or takeaway options, a cup of coffee retails for P399 in the Philippines stores. It comes with their vanilla bean Chantilly cream – or an elevated whipped cream – and their trademark Bacha Coffee flair with every order. 

“It’s an affordable luxury or a treat for a special occasion or even just to try something different that they’ve never tried before, so that is the first, I would say, stepping point for our customer to come in. We also have coffee bags, gift boxes,” she said.

She said the brand’s takeaway coffees and their prices “are very acceptable.” Prices of individual sachets might also be “much less expensive” than other specialty coffees that are already available in the market. A coffee box with drip coffee sachets retail for around P2,000 and up. 

“I feel that there are touch points that will introduce people to the brand,” according to Barnes.

Bacha Coffee said consumers don’t need expensive espresso machines to enjoy good coffee. The brand still prepares coffee the traditional way – or using the pour over method – with 100 percent cotton filters, Barnes shared.

Aside from coffee, Bacha Coffee also brought its “coffee bar” to the Philippines along with its famous croissant, which comes in plain, filled with raspberry, almonds, Kaya or coffee-infused varities. Customers can enjoy breakfast, desserts and lunch in-store. For the Filipino palate, Barnes recommended their soy marinated chicken croissant which she described as somewhat similar to adobo. It is also best paired with their Sidamo Mountain Coffee from Ethiopia, she added.

Bacha Coffee is present in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and has also recently opened in Beijing and Shanghai. After the Philippines, the brand is eyeing North America for expansion, according to Barnes. 

When asked what would define the brand’s success in the Philippines, she said “It’s truly to become more of a household name.”

And as to when will the sought-after brand carry Philippine coffee beans, Barnes said “I am open to it.”

“We are always expanding our collection…So for me, the Philippines is the new frontier and I think it may be very soon that we will introduce such coffee here,” Barnes said. Rico Hizon, ABS-CBN News Channel, with reports from Jessica Fenol, ABS-CBN News