Skip the queue, get the coffee

Bo’s Coffee Botty —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Despite the proliferation of coffee shops, from brands both local and international, all over the country, Bo’s Coffee continues to enjoy steady growth thanks to its unique position in the market, says founder Steve Benitez: they are the biggest homegrown coffee chain that continues to highlight Philippine coffee.

“That basically puts us in a good space, because we don’t necessarily compete with the large, international coffee chains,” Benitez says. “And people don’t patronize us simply because we serve local brews. Our coffee, first and foremost, is good—and it happens to be Filipino.”

In the next three to five years, Benitez says they aim to put up at least 20 stores annually. They surpassed that target this year with the establishment of 24 new branches. The ultimate goal is to have 250 stores both here and abroad (at least five new countries by 2022). Currently, Bo’s has one store open in Qatar; six more are expected to open soon.

As they grow their presence, Bo’s is also expanding its product offerings by exploring partnerships with more local coffee farmers. While not all of their blends are sourced locally, Benitez says all their single-origin coffees are 100-percent Filipino, coming from Mount Matutum, Mount Kitanglad, Mount Apo, Sagada, Atok and Ambuklao.

The company is also leveraging digital technology to enhance customer experience. Bo’s recently launched “Botty,” an advance ordering system that makes use of chatbots on Facebook Messenger.

The system is designed for people who want to skip long lines at the cashier.

If one is, say, dropping by Bo’s for his daily cuppa, he can order via Botty, pay online and just pick up his coffee quickly as soon as he gets to the store.

While the service is still limited to a few branches in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Palawan, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, Benitez says Botty will eventually be available for all stores.

The target is to have half a million Botty users in six months.

“We really want to give our loyal customers the best of both worlds. If they want to unwind and relax, they can come to our stores and enjoy the ambiance. When they want to save time, we have Botty,” Benitez says. —ANNELLE TAYAO-JUEGO