Now, fresh from its 30th anniversary, Bo’s Coffee is looking to write its next chapter, betting that the homegrown brand still has plenty of room to grow in a market it helped create.
The company was among the pioneers of the country’s modern coffee culture, arriving before international coffee chains like Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf began their rapid expansion.
While the market has become increasingly crowded over the years, Bo’s has stayed rooted in promoting Philippine coffee, local ingredients and Filipino craftsmanship.
Founder Steve Benitez believes the country’s love affair with coffee is still growing.
“The coffee sector continues to grow,” Benitez told InsiderPH.
“It’s now part of our lifestyle. It didn’t used to be that way," he added.
Accessibility, not exclusivity
That optimism is driving Bo’s next chapter, with the company targeting about 400 stores by 2031, roughly doubling its current footprint as it opened its 200th branch last May 1 in Cebu City.
The ambition marks a dramatic leap from its very first branch that was funded by a P150,000 investment.
Yet Benitez said success is measured not by the number of stores, but by staying true to the mission the company began pursuing three decades ago: making specialty coffee accessible to more Filipinos.
“To make it accessible. And you only need to start the whole idea. The whole idea to make it accessible to everyone. Of course, right now you can see in every corner new independent brands, smaller brands, so many. But that’s good, because they also help to expand the market and to educate the market," he explained.
Why more competition is good
Instead of worrying about the flood of new coffee brands, Benitez sees them as helping create more coffee drinkers before many eventually gravitate toward more established players.
“Because the market, especially the younger ones, go where the buzz is, try it, let them do that introduction, and then when they get there, they’re looking for something to elevate it. That’s who we are. We can deliver the experience, we can deliver the products that they want. And the accessibility, meaning we’re able to. They don’t have to go and drive 30 minutes away," he said.
For Benitez, every new café helps build the overall market, creating a larger base of consumers who eventually seek higher-quality coffee and a more established brand experience.
Growing with Filipino coffee
Even as it expands, Bo’s remains committed to showcasing Philippine coffee and local products across its stores.
“We’re not 100 percent doing it. But we’re highlighting Filipino,” Benitez said. “So even like, you know, see the fabrics, the tea, the chocolates, that’s focusing on Philippine, highlighting Philippine products."
That distinctly Filipino identity has become one of Bo’s biggest differentiators in an increasingly competitive market, helping the brand stay relevant even as global and local rivals continue to multiply.
Building a global Filipino brand
The vision has also attracted institutional investors, including private equity firm Navegar, which backed Bo’s to help accelerate its expansion.
The company has since opened branches in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, introducing Philippine coffee to overseas markets.
For Benitez, the goal has remained remarkably consistent since opening that first kiosk in Cebu 30 years ago: build a globally recognized Filipino coffee brand by bringing Philippine coffee to more people, first at home and eventually around the world.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
