Jollibee brings Singapore’s Common Man Coffee to Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is bringing Singapore’s Common Man Coffee Roasters to the Philippines.

It has signed a contract with Ayala Malls for the brand’s first location in the Philippines – The Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati.

The Jollibee Group announced in August its joint venture with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) to own and operate Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. The Jollibee Group owns 60 percent of the business.

Jollibee Group chief real estate and design officer William Tan Untiong said location is key in establishing Common Man’s foothold in the country.

“The Ayala Triangle Gardens is at the heart of Makati’s Central Business District and a hub for many great concepts in the city. For this reason, it is only fitting that we set up shop in this prime location that will enable us to fully bring the signature Common Man Coffee Roasters concept to life,” he said.

The Common Man Coffee Roasters operates all-day dining restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia.

Michael Bovell, general manager of Spa Esprit Food Group, which operates Common Man Coffee Roasters in Singapore, said the group is excited to launch Common Man Coffee Roasters in Manila.

“As with all our cafes, the café design is very creative and not run of the mill. We are also excited to have a roastery on site so we can showcase the roasting process to our customers, offering a dining and sensory experience,” Bovell said.

Mariana Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Land senior vice president, said Common Man was her favorite cafe in Singapore when she lived there a few years ago.

At present, the Jollibee Group has over 6,500 stores across 34 countries including the Philippines, United States, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, and Australia.

It has eight wholly owned brands namely Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan and Smashburger; four franchised brands such as Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China.

It also has 80 percent ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60 percent ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51 percent ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand.