Monday, August 13, 2007 Have Another Cup: Figaro Opens its 61st Shop By The Weekend Writers
DRINKING coffee has been part of our lives since then.
Some of us wouldn’t jump out to start the day without a dose of our favorite caffeine source, be it black or with cream; flavored or brewed; European, Asian or American inspired.
People from bubbly-bubble-gum-chewing teenagers to preppy-looking-laptop-clutching yuppies enjoy more chances to get together and “chill out” over hot coffee and indulge themselves in the sweet satisfying aroma.
Not only that we want to enjoy the coffee sensation, but coffee drinking is also one way to deepen friendships, beat stress, and not to mention, the cancer-preventing antioxidants it contains.
But with more coffee shops sprouting like mushrooms in Bacolod nowadays, how does one company ensures itself that its customers would be coming back for another cup or two?
The Figaro Coffee Company has baptized its newest branch, the 61st Figaro shop, here in Bacolod City last August 10, 2007 at SM City.
Now, with its family of stores growing all over the Philippines, including two in China, Figaro intends not to stamp its final step here, taking big leaps from its modest launch in Glorietta, Manila in November of 1993.
Like most coffee shop birth stories, Figaro kicked off when CEO Chit Juan along with six more coffee lover friends who frequented Europe and other countries started sharing coffee together.
Their passion didn’t stop with merely sharing and enjoying the pleasure of friendship and coffee – they wanted more people to experience the same kind of bliss, inspiring them to bring home the European coffee culture.
But what’s more inspiring is, behind the sophisticated European concept, Figaro helped resuscitate the production of Philippine coffee by buying locally from farmers who, for some time, had stopped producing “barako” coffee due to the onslaught of imported coffee into the market.
Sitting under one of the umbrellas of the yellow Figaro store, you couldn’t help but cross your legs and inhale the enticing aroma of your blueberry muffin and cafe’ latte, close your eyes, and find yourself in an out-of-the-mall experience right in the middle of a Mediterranean garden with crisp, thin air brushing against your skin.
So, what would keep us coming back to Figaro?
Maria Cristina Martinez, Marketing Manager, reveals, “We give you good coffee experience. We could only give you the best quality of fresh coffee. We have our own blend, the classico, which is available in retail for people who want to bring the Figaro coffee experience to their very own couches at home. You won’t get bored with what we offer you because there are a lot of varieties to choose from every month.”
The coffee will not only excite your taste buds, it will also bridge friendships with the Figaro Coffee Club.
Members have exclusive privileges such as freebies, invites to special events and parties, and even out-of-town tours. So is Figaro just another coffee shop in town?
