It was April 25, 2018, when Bo’s Coffee – the biggest homegrown coffee company in the Philippines, opened its first international branch with the objective of bringing that distinct coffee experience to Filipinos abroad. And it was a milestone for the company to have chosen Qatar for its first overseas venture which is expected to expand to seven (7) additional branches all around the country in the next 2 years.
During the visit of the company’s Founder and CEO earlier in April 2019, Mr. Steve Benitez also mentioned that they were happy to have found a better partner in a company (Al Majed Group) who also have a heart for Filipinos and would love to bring the Philippines to Qatar through its homegrown coffee.
As you walk inside their store in Bin Omran, you will immediately feel as if you’re entering a Bo’s Coffee branch in the Philippines. Same color tones, decors, the colorful mugs… and even visuals of the origin of their beans. The fabrics used on some parts of their walls directly came from Cordillera regions of Sagada and Benguet – where their finest arabica beans came from, aside from other arabica growing regions like Kitanglad, Matuto, and Mount Apo – the highest mountain in the Philippines.
We’ve also learned during our short meeting with Mr. Steve Benitez that it’s also in the heart of Bo’s Coffee’s to support the local farmers and infuse the products from other local and indigenous enterprises into the business – like fabrics, fresh specialty beverages, among others – a social enterprise that gave the company its soul.
What’s more inspiring is to know the story of how it all started in June 1996 with a small cart in Ayala Center Cebu – a bustling metropolis in the Southen islands of the Philippines. During that time, the coffee lifestyle isn’t popular yet, and the initial challenge is how to introduce hot coffee in a tropical and humid country. But it was Mr. Benitez’s passion and persistence that braved all odds during that time.
Past forward to today, the company has grown to over 100 branches nationwide amidst the popularity of foreign coffee brands. The secret lies behind Bo’s Coffee’s mission “to elevate the sense of being Filipino”. As others try to introduce foreign products, Bo’s Coffee continues to champion what is truly Filipino. They broke the notion that being nice and classy equates only to imported labels by maintaining stores that were even initially perceived as a foreign brand. “Why does it have to be foreign to be good?”, he even added.
For us at Best Life Qatar, these are more than enough reasons to share in their mission and support products in Qatar that make us feel good that we are Filipinos.
BLQ WORKSHOPS at the NEW MEETING ROOM
In partnership with Bo’s Coffee Qatar, and in celebration of their first year anniversary, Best Life Qatar has successfully run a TALK SERIES featuring seminars for aspiring bloggers and content creators on various subjects like writing for social media, beauty blogging, and the basics of vlogging. These sessions were held all Fridays of April and were fully booked during registration and attended by many up and coming social media influencers and content creators.
Surprisingly, the sessions also gained the interests of several non-Filipino attendees. This was also a good opportunity to introduce the homegrown Filipino brew to the local and other expat communities in Qatar.
Special thanks to the very supportive volunteer speakers who took their time, effort and dedication to share their expertise with everyone. All my respect to you guys: Sonkie, Chally, and J.E., Best Life Qatar is truly grateful that you said “YES” to this project!
The meeting room may be rented for exclusive use like private events, meeting, or workshops. Contact 4447 888 to reserve the hall in advance (rental fee and other conditions apply).
