What’s Brewing With Manila’s Hot Coffee Scene

06.05.2024 - 16:55 / forbes.com

You would think hot beverages would be unheard of in such a hot and humid country, but coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the Philippines. Nine out of 10 households have coffee in their pantries, and eight out of 10 adults in the country drink an average of 2.5 cups of coffee every day, according to the Philippine Coffee Board.

Interest in coffee has fluctuated regarding trends, says Steven Benitez, who founded homegrown coffee shop chain Bo’s Coffee in 1996, but in the early 2000s, Manila welcomed local players. Now, Metro Manila’s coffee scene is burgeoning, particularly after the pandemic-induced lockdown, with more and more people appreciating third-wave and specialty blends.

Some coffee lovers who lost access to their favorite shops during the lockdown became brewers and jumped into the rabbit hole of home brewing. Now that everything is back to normal in Manila, coffee shops are buzzing again with activity.

“When COVID happened, everybody stayed home and started making their own coffee,” Benitez says. “Everybody felt like they could open coffee shops now because they had that lightbulb moment, and we saw a lot of individual shops opening. That’s a new set of different segments of coffee brands catering to different, very specialized markets. The way I look at it: we will see what happens in the next few years because trends come and go. The one who does it well will stay longer.”

Kevin Tang of Yardstick Coffee, one of the most trusted suppliers in the region, agrees with Benitez’s assessment: “Metro Manila’s coffee scene has seen notable growth, especially with more people getting into home brewing during the pandemic. This has pushed cafés to step up their game.”

As for the quality of coffee served in the shops in Metro Manila compared to other parts of the world, Benitez happily shares a realization after his recent trips. “I went [to Dubai] to check on the sites our partners are opening,” he says. “And then I went to Paris, Athens and Rome. When I visited those cities, I realized that what I used to enjoy a lot before — some of the coffee I missed and looked for when I traveled — is something I could already find here [in Manila].”

“The specialty coffee scene in the Philippines is alive and well, with many coffee shops sprouting on every corner,” says Miguel Rodriguez of Caravan Black Coffee. “All you have to do is find the one that speaks to you the most. My choices are dependent on execution and consistency. Try to support local coffee shops whenever you can.”

Tang adds, “Social media has also played a crucial role by shedding light on lesser-known cafés, making them more accessible to a broader audience.”

Iana Peralta, the creative behind Instagram’s @CoffeeCupSeries, is one of