Villar ramps up coffee business

MANILA, Philippines - The Villar Group plans to expand its newly opened coffee chain Coffee Project to bring its total network to 23 by the end of 2017.

It is pouring in P225 million to roll out 15 more branches in the next 15 months.

Villar Group founder Manuel Villar Jr. decided to put up the coffee chain because he is a coffee lover.

“I am a coffee lover and I always wanted to have a coffee shop. I had always thought that if I were to put up a food chain, it will be a coffee shop concept,” said Villar.

To achieve its goal, the company will put up six branches before the end of the year and add nine more branches in 2017.

At present, Coffee Project has seven branches including Wil Tower in Quezon City, Metropolis mall in Alabang, Vista Mall Sta. Rosa, Vista Mall Pampanga, and Vista Mall Bataan.

Villar said the new locations for its coffee stores are within the group’s properties in Legaspi and Salcedo Villages in Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Lakefront in Muntinlupa, Parañaque and Vista City in Daanghari.

Villar said his coffee chain could join the growing number of Filipino-owned coffee companies such as Figaro and Bo’s Coffee.

The company uses local and imported beans, mostly Arabica beans.

Villar likewise noted the homey atmosphere of his coffee stores.

“Coffee Project is half flavor and half ambience,” Villar said. 

The Villar Group opened the first branch of Coffee Project in Alabang one and a half years ago.

“When the result was good, I decided to develop it into a chain. And every time we open a new branch, it is well-received by customers,”  Villar said. 

He said it was not difficult to open his own coffee chain because he drinks coffee a lot and knows his coffee well.