Bo’s Coffee: Everything You Need to Know

Looking for great tasting coffee? Look no further than Bo’s Coffee! Bo’s Coffee is a Filipino-owned coffee chain with outlets all over the Philippines. It only uses locally-sourced coffee beans from farmers from Sagada, Mountain Province; Mount Matutum in Tupi South Cotabato; Mount Kitanglad in Bukidnon, and Mount Apo. 

Bo’s Coffee: A History

Founded in 1996 in Cebu City, Philippines, Bo’s Coffee is a Filipino coffee and coffeehouse chain. The company operates a total of 91 branches throughout the Philippines, with around 30 located in Metro Cebu, where it is based. 

Bo’s Coffee Owner.

The idea of starting a coffee shop came to Bo’s Coffee founder Steve Benitez back when he was a student in Ateneo de Manila University as he always needed to drink coffee to stay awake In 1992, his parents wanted to shut down their family-owned Ric’s Barbeque on Ramos Street in Cebu City. Steve, the youngest of the five Benitez siblings, took over the family business and left Ateneo de Manila Law School. 

After attending various seminars and training, Steve found out that it was not a viable venture. However, he stubbornly decided to open Bo’s Coffee in a small space in Ayala Center Cebu in 1996. Steve bought his first coffee machine from a coffee exhibition show in Singapore for Php 65,000 and hand-carried the machine in his flight back home to Cebu. Starting on an investment of just Php 100,000, the business didn’t produce any profit during the first three months on daily sales ranging from Php 300 to Php 1,000.

At first, Steve had to give away free samples as Cebuanos weren’t familiar yet with his concept. Fortunately, sales picked up on the sixth month and profits increased steadily. This has allowed him to open another coffee cart in SM City Cebu. 

In 2018, Navegar Fund – a Philippines-focused, Manila-based private equity firm – decided to invest in the company due to its efforts in helping local farmers and communities, which is one of the main thrusts of the firm. 

Etymology.

Steve says that the name comes from an Italian-American coffee connoisseur named ‘Bo’ who he met in a coffee roadshow in New Orleans in the ‘90s. The brief, 10-minute interaction he had with Bo inspired him and had a profound impact on his life. 

Bo’s Coffee Menu

Bo’s Coffee offers a wide selection of coffee drinks and food items on its menu.

Drinks Menu

Hot Drinks

• Cappuccino
• Hot Americano
• Hot Latte
• Hot Café Mocha
• Hot Caramel Latte
• Hot Matcha Green Tea Latte
• Hot Tea

Cold Drinks

• Iced Café Americano 
• Iced Café Latte
• Iced Caramel Latte
• Iced White Chocolate Mocha
• Signature Cold White Brew
• Froccino Mocha
• Froccino Coffee Jelly
• Froccino Caramelo
• Froccino Cookies ‘n Cream
• Freeze Artisanal Chocolate
• Freeze Cookies ‘n Cream
• Freeze Matcha Green Tea
• Freeze Strawberry
• Freeze Vanilla
• Shaken Iced Tea Apple Chia
• Shaken Iced Tropical Breeze
• Shaken Iced Peach Mangga Berry 

Food Menu

Breakfast

• Bo’s Breakfast Platter
• Bacon Breakfast Platter
• Corned Beef Breakfast Platter
• Sausage Breakfast Platter
• Ham Breakfast Platter
• Pancake Plate
• Sausage and Cheese Omelette
• Vigan Longganisa Omelette
• Ham and Egg Breakfast Sandwich
• Spam and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

Pasta

• Arrabiatta
• Bacon Pesto
• Bolognese
• Carbonara
• Spanish Sardines

Grilled Sandwich

• Grilled Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato
• Grilled Triple Cheese
• Grilled Cheese Hawaiian
• Grilled Cheese Tuna

Cakes

• Dulce De Leche Cheesecake
• Classic New York Cheesecake
• Mango Cheesecake
• Oreo Cheesecake
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Bo’s Chocolate

Bo’s Coffee Branches

As of December 2018, Bo’s Coffee has over 103 branches throughout the Philippines, most of them located in major cities. Majority of Bo’s branches are located in Metro Cebu, where the company is based. Further, Bo’s Coffee opened its first international branch in Doha, Qatar on April 2018. 

How to Start a Bo’s Coffee Franchise

Starting a Bo’s Coffee franchise would be a fun and exciting venture for business-minded coffee lovers. Bo’s Coffee serves top-notch homegrown coffee and tea, as well as food items like sandwiches, pastas, and pastries. Bo’s also serves several breakfast meals from omelettes, pastas, pancakes, and sandwiches. 

Franchise Details.

Here are some key Bo’s Coffee franchise details. 

• Industry: Food & Beverage
• Category: Cafe/Bakery/Desserts
• Royalty Fee: 5%
• Marketing Fee: 2 %
• Franchise Fee: PHP 1,000,000
• Investment Capital: PHP 1M
• Franchise Terms: 7 years
• Area: N/A
• Coverage: N/A
• Origin: N/A
• Outlet: N/A
• Since: 1996

Franchising Package.

The Bo’s Coffee franchise offers two business operations depending on the franchisee’s needs. 

• Store Outlet (stand alone or permanent space)
• Kiosk (counter operations or sidewalk café type)

Both franchise types include the following in each package:

• Franchise fee
• Pre-opening and start-up assistance
• Initial inventory
• Equipment
• Furniture and fixtures
• Confidential operations manual
• Training
• Marketing and advertising support
• Signage and decoration
• Interior design and construction
• Inventory and cost control system
• POS terminal and software program
• Continuing operational support

Applying for a Franchise.

To apply for a Bo’s Coffee franchise, prepare the following requirements and submit them through any of Bo’s contact details. Requirements include: 

• Letter of intent
• Personal or company profile
• 2-year financial statement
• Location of proposed site
• Brief description of proposed site
• Application form (will be provided upon request)

Franchise Contact Details.

To submit your franchise application, you can reach Bo’s through any fo the following:

• Phone/Mobile Number: 02254-7688 
• Email Address: [email protected] 
• Website: www.boscoffee.com 

The Bottom Line

Start your day with a delicious, aromatic cup of Bo’s Coffee along with their delightful breakfast pairings. Perk up your day further with Bo’s as you take your break. As it ends, unwind with a relaxing warm cup of Bo’s Coffee. With its homegrown philosophy, Bo’s Coffee aims to support local entrepreneurs and farmers in their artisanal creations. Enjoy!