MANILA, Philippines – Arabica PH has been through quite a lot the past weeks – after the Japanese coffee chain’s sudden branch closures on January 31 (as well as a social media shutdown), many patrons rightfully panicked. Thankfully, Arabica PH cleared the air on February 2 and said that the contract with their Philippine partners had already expired, and that they would be expanding around the country soon with new management in tow.

But what’s in store for the former partners behind Arabica PH, who organically helped grow the Japanese brand within Metro Manila? Partners and mother-daughter duo Allue and Dr. San San Hortaleza may have left the popular café, but their story (and love for coffee) doesn’t end there.

On February 1, Allue announced that it was finally time for them to “build a brand that is proudly Filipino,” which was a dream they’ve always had, ever since bringing Arabica to the Philippines in 2017.

On Thursday, February 10, Angkan Coffee was officially announced to the world: a 100% local coffee brand that would be “brewing soon” for patrons and newcomers looking for a bold, brewtiful, and “proudly Filipino” new coffee brand to get behind.

From bean to brew: Proud to be Pinoy

After working with the successful Japanese coffee franchise for over four years, Allue knew that it was time for her to personally pursue the same concept, but with Filipino beans. 

Inspired by her hands-on experience with Arabica PH, a new budding brew-mance blossomed within Allue. Because Arabica is a homegrown Japanese coffee shop that showcases different beans from around the world, but still with a “very distinct Japanese feel, given its locally-inspired aesthetic” (minimalist and zen), Allue wanted to do the same for Angkan.

“We wanted to create something similar with Angkan, not just by blending modern Filipino aesthetics and traditional Filipino hospitality that we as a people are very much known for, but also by going a step further and showcasing locally-sourced coffee beans as well as the people involved in their farm-to-cup journey,” Allue told Rappler.

Angkan will still serve a wide range of beans and drinks from all over the globe, but as part of Angkan’s “proudly Filipino” vision, these curated espresso and non-espresso beverages and pastries will have certain Filipino twists to keep things unique and familiar at the same time.

What you’ve bean waiting for

What can first-time visitors and loyal customers expect from Angkan? Warm and welcoming staff, as well as cozy and inviting spaces, Allue said, plus a dynamic menu that they will “strive to continuously update on a quarterly basis.” The menu will include “novel drinks” that their very own baristas will create, in an effort to “highlight how the creativity of our homegrown talent is more than able to compete on the global stage.”

“Coming in strong, fresh, and full of flavor, just the way we like our coffee,” Angkan wrote in a teaser post. In another post, the location tagged was in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City – perhaps a clue to where their first branch will be popping up soon?

Angkan will also offer wholesale and/or custom coffee beans for businesses, as well as subscription-based direct delivery options for coffee lovers who want Angkan as part of their morning brew at home.

When it comes to service, Angkan will always go back to what their name means: family and lineage. Angkan wants to highlight the warmth that comes from a sense of family, making sure that this warmth is felt within their store.

“The name highlights how a cup of coffee can warm you up, keep you cozy, while at the same time, wake you up and get ready for what lies ahead,” Allue said.

“With its Filipino roots, Angkan showcases the hospitality of the Filipino and our ability to make you feel welcome even if you’ve just met. This helps tie the brand to its Filipino roots, but it also allows us to create a stronger position for Filipino coffee and cafes in the long run,” she added.

From Arabica to Angkan: Lessons learned

It may be a complete jump from operating a Japanese brand to building a purely Filipino concept, but this transition will play a big part in Allue’s new venture, she said. After all, different cultural influences are what has helped form our “unique and colorful history,” she added.

“Influences of many different cultures have become part of who we are as Filipinos and undeniably continue to shape today’s pop culture,” she added, sharing that there will “certainly be influences of Arabica that [they] will openly embrace as part of [their] new venture.” At Angkan, it’s all about offering global offerings within a “familiar, locally-inspired atmosphere.”

It’s always a risk to start anything new, but Allue is confident that the lessons she’s learned from her stint in Arabica – and more importantly, the people who brought the cafe to life – will see Angkan through.

“The team behind the Arabica PH brand was crucial to its success. The service they provided, as well as the total environment they created, truly defined the wonderful experience customers had when visiting those stores,” Allue said.

“Because of this, I am so fortunate to be able to continue working with these same amazing individuals to bring Angkan to life.”

The team’s gratitude also extends to the local coffee community that warmly welcomed Arabica PH back in 2017, and continued to do so until 2022. Just building something from the ground up that customers really appreciated was a feat that was both “very exciting and extremely rewarding” for Allue. To her, bringing Arabica PH to the country was was a “no-brainer,” even if living up to the “lofty expectations of folks” was challenging at first.

“None of this would have been possible without our amazing team, and I’m equally grateful for the support, guidance, and patronage of the close-knit Philippine coffee community who welcomed us with open arms,” Allue said.

More than just coffee: A project close to home

On paper, Allue’s new venture makes sense – aside from her success with Arabica PH, her career background has been in product innovation and mass retail within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. However, work experience isn’t always enough to get everyone up in the morning, and for Allue, it was – and continues to be – her long-standing passion for coffee that keeps her present and motivated, especially during hard times in life.

“In essence, coffee is something that has kept my focus and something that continues to inspire me in a way that other personal endeavors haven’t been able to,” she said. As part of her initial foray into the coffee business, Allue took up many courses offered by the Barista & Coffee Academy of Asia (BCAA), where she “not only learned a great deal,” but also met a lot of people who offered support and friendship throughout her coffee journey.

“Also, coming from a family of self-made entrepreneurs like my mother, who created many different brands and products that are household names, inspired me to do the same with Angkan,” Allue said.

New experiences are always scary, but most of the time, they’re worth it; Allue compares Angkan’s birth to her experience being a first-time mom, while currently looking for a babysitter to help her with her infant daughter.

“So far, it’s been a tough process for me, given how difficult it is to trust someone you barely know with your child, let alone with a pandemic going on,” she said. But at the same time, she said that she can very much relate to the people she’s interviewing because “in a sense, you could say [she] was a babysitter [herself] when it came to Arabica PH” – she had the “enormous responsibility” to look after a brand as it grew, especially since it wasn’t really her “child” to begin with.

“But just like my daughter, Angkan is also my ‘baby’ that I’m super excited to raise, nurture, and send out into the world as my own,” Allue added, and with that, we wait in excited anticipation for what’s to come! – Rappler.com