Gloria Jean's coffee shop caters to the 'early risers'

International coffee shop Gloria Jean's in Cebu, has moved into capturing the "early-riser" market in Cebu not just to offer its world-renowned gourmet coffee products, but has also embarked into offering a full-blown "Filipino" breakfast choices.

With this move, Gloria Jean's is the first coffee shop in Cebu to offer "real" breakfast offering, this is to satisfy the unique preference of the consumer traffic at the newly opened Banilad Town Center (BTC).

Gloria Jean's-Cebu franchisee Lalaine P. Espiritu said Cebu (morning) market is demanding for Filipino breakfast products, and that her outlet is just responding from the clamor.

Traditionally, coffee shops' breakfast products are only limited to westernized breakfast style such as waffle, pancakes, with bacon and egg, but Espiritu said there is still significant number of consumers that demand "Filipino" breakfast style.

Gloria Jean's is the second international coffee shop chain to enter Cebu, next to Starbucks.

She said Gloria Jean's offers another dimension to enjoying coffee, thus, its entry in Cebu should not be considered a threat to existing coffee shop operators, instead a positive manifestation that Cebu coffee shop industry is maturing.

The coffee shop is opening as early as 6:30 in the morning, Espiritu said the consumer traffic in the BTC has distinct need especially for "filling" food in the morning as the area has become an educational hub in the northern part of Cebu.

"There are several schools located somewhere in Banilad, going to Talamban area, most of the customers here are parents bringing their children to school and they want heavy meals, aside from the light breakfast stuff," Espiritu said.

Known as the world's leading provider of specialty flavored coffee, Gloria Jean's Coffees also offers over 85 varieties of Arabia beans including specialty flavors, origins, and proprietary blends.

Gloria Jean's Coffees originated in North Chicago in 1979 when Ed and Gloria Jean Kvetko opened their first shop in one corner of their gift shop. More than 25 years later, Gloria Jean's Coffees has become one of the market leaders with close to 500 outlets in 18 countries including 250 outlets in Australia, where it is the market leader.

In the Philippines, the master franchisee of Gloria Jean's, is the Specialty Beans Philippines, Inc., (SBPI) the company is now aggressively looking at partnering with other entrepreneurs around the country, to expand the Gloria Jean's network in different regions.

Although, Gloria Jean's is the new entrant in the Coffee Shop trade in the Philippines, being in the country in just two years, SBPI franchising & business development manager Ramon Balinguit Jr., said the company has easily built 17 coffee shop network, including Cebu.

"We would like to tap local entrepreneurs like Zobella Gourmet in each city in the country, to give them a global brand," Balinguit said in an earlier interview.

Next to Cebu, Balinguit said Gloria Jean's would soon make its presence in Davao and Bacolod.