Where does arabica coffee from % Arabica now stand in the Philippines?

% Arabica has ended its partnership with former Philippine partner Allue Hortaleza, the company announced on Facebook, and says a new agency partner will open stores elsewhere in the country within the year. Hortaleza confirmed the split on Instagram and on February 10 launched Angkan Coffee, a local brand that will open at the addresses of the former % Arabica stores because she holds those leases.

Angkan Coffee borrows from % Arabica's business philosophy and brand aesthetics but emphasizes Philippine-grown beans, local design and hospitality, with a menu refreshed each quarter and drinks developed by its own baristas. Hortaleza says the two brands are not the same and expects Angkan to shape how % Arabica returns to the Philippines. Questions about where arabica coffee from abroad is sourced remain separate from this dispute.

A major shift has occurred in % Arabica's partnership in the Philippine market. The brand announced via Facebook that it has terminated its partnership with its former Philippine partner Allue Hortaleza and has found a new agency company, with new stores expected to open within the year. Allue Hortaleza subsequently confirmed the news on social media and launched the local Philippine coffee brand Angkan Coffee on February 10. Since the lease for the original % Arabica store locations belongs to her, the new brand will open directly at the former sites. Angkan Coffee draws on % Arabica in its business philosophy and brand aesthetics, while emphasizing the sourcing of local Philippine coffee beans and the integration of local aesthetics and hospitality. Allue Hortaleza insists that the two are not the same and believes the new brand will influence % Arabica's future relaunch in the Philippines. This article sorts through the timeline of events and brand details.

Not long after, % Arabica posted a statement on Facebook confirming that it had ended its partnership with its former Philippine market partner Allue Hortaleza. The statement also mentioned that the brand has already approached a new agency partner and promised to open new % Arabica stores in other areas of the Philippines within the year.

On the other side, Allue Hortaleza also responded on Instagram, saying that this was indeed the case. She also emphasized that the team will continue to serve customers consistently high-quality coffee.

On February 10, Allue Hortaleza announced publicly that they had created the first local Philippine coffee brand: Angkan Coffee.

Because the leases for several of the previous % Arabica stores in the Philippines belonged to Allue Hortaleza, this local brand will open at the addresses of the former % Arabica locations.

In terms of brand promotion, Angkan Coffee has quite a few similarities with % Arabica's approach—providing customers with freshly roasted coffee beans, warm and hospitable service, comfortable and pleasant spaces, and a dynamic menu... They strive to update the menu every quarter, launching more "specialty drinks" developed by baristas themselves, hoping to highlight locals' creativity with coffee and to become competitive on the stage of global barista competitions...

In addition to borrowing from the business philosophy, there are also references in brand style... % Arabica is a homegrown Japanese coffee shop. Although it presents different coffee beans from around the world, it still carries a very distinct Japanese character.

So Allue Hortaleza borrowed this approach as well. She likewise wants to shape a brand image for Angkan Coffee with a local-style aesthetic... Therefore she said she will vigorously source local Philippine coffee beans and integrate the stores with modern Philippine aesthetics and traditional Philippine hospitality, while actively purchasing and promoting local Philippine coffee beans to help local coffee farmers grow them. (The stores probably haven't finished renovation yet... no related images can be found at present.)

However, in the face of these discussions, Allue Hortaleza still emphasizes: Angkan Coffee and % Arabica are not the same! After all, different cultural influences help form the unique and colorful history of a local Philippine coffee brand... And she firmly believes that this local Philippine brand will certainly influence the subsequent "relaunch" of % Arabica in the Philippines...

Well! As mentioned in a previous article: some netizens said she was foolish—after finally making it through the pandemic and seeing the coffee shop business start to improve, she split off, which is somewhat irrational.

And facts have proven that she simply knew coffee shop business is easier to do now, so she decided to "split off."

But at the same time, she is also basking in % Arabica's "glow," saying, "I want to build a local Philippine coffee brand."

Em... This storyline somehow feels like I've seen it somewhere before...

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.