But First, Coffee (BFC), a coffee shop which was launched during the pandemic in the Philippines, said it aims to open 150 more stores this year.
“Around a hundred more for this year—a mix of corporate and franchise branches. For the franchising, we’re targeting 100 for the franchise and hopefully for the corporate around 50,” Anna Magalona, CEO of But First, Coffee, told reporters in a recent interview.
Magalona said the coffee shop now has 148 branches nationwide. With the firm’s goal to double its number of branches this year, she said the company also aims to double the jobs it will provide.
“In our corporate head office, there are around 200 employees. But in terms of But First, Coffee as a brand, 500 to 700 jobs na.”
Magalona added, “I think it [number of employees] will double. Because currently there are around 150 branches.”
She said BFC started in 2020 or during the height of the pandemic by establishing its online presence, which initially propelled the business. She noted that growth was eventually driven by franchising.
“We joined groups online where we promoted our products. We also maximized Facebook communities. That’s what helped us in terms of growing our business,” Magalona said. “Apart from that, sa franchising talaga since we have franchisees all around the country. We are already in Mindanao, Visayas, we have already tapped those areas.”
Amid the proliferation of coffee shops in the country, Magalona said BFC thrives because of its “competitive advantage,” as its coffee is “affordable yet of good quality.”
Prices of BFC coffee range from P55 to P460, depending on the base (drip-based or espresso-based) and the size (12 oz, 16 oz, 500 ml, 1L), based on the menu published on its Instagram account.
For this year, Magalona said BFC plans to launch more products this year. “Our series for the year I think is 80 percent complete for mga product launches per season.”
She noted, however, that there are challenges in maintaining the affordability of BFC products.
“Sometimes, it’s challenging to balance our costing, our pricing, so we always do supplier tests. We explore options so our products would remain affordable.”
Magalona said BFC is a member of the Philippine Franchise Association.