Costa Coffee

Another coffee chain is vying for slice of coffee market in our country. Are Filipinos really a coffe drinker? Is it one of the reasons why we have Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Seattle's Best and other coffee houses that occupy almost every corner of Manila? Many places has Starbucks located 200 meters from each other. As if one store cannot accommodate people buying coffee for habit. Is coffee a new tobacco? We know it is addicting. It trigger some chemical in our brain that makes us active above normal for at least 6 hours! That's almost 1 day! A must for those who stays late and work all day.

Costa coffee is the second largest in the world, next to Starbucks. It is planning to establish 70 - 80 stores in 5 years. It will provide another employment opportunity which the Philippines badly needed. Is Gokongwei the lucky guy here? I wish sometimes there are this kind of business opportunity for other people not just millionaire like Gokongwei. What if somebody (I hope it's me) ask funding from KickStarter to form a company that will franchise to a business like Costa Coffee? Would that fly?

I was able to visit Costa during my secondment in UK and India. I just orders cafe latte. Taste is comparable with Starbucks. Ambiance is like CBTL. I did not try the pastries but I think it would pass to Filipino taste. I hope to see them open their first branch in a few months. Who knows, maybe Student in Starbucks might decide to do their business there? I would love to visit Starbucks without waiting for table to be freed ;-)

Visited Costa Coffee in UK near Paddington Station