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Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Durian coffee seen to invade key cities
DAVAO'S "Durian coffee" will invade other key cities in the country after a local coffee maker starts franchising by the end of this year.
Gatchie Gatchalian owner of Blu Gre and Kape't Pandesal said that they would proceed with the franchising after finalizing the agreement including some details.
He said they had been receiving inquiries already from entrepreneurs based in Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Cebu, Manila and even from people outside of the country.
Gatchalian and his wife Larcy who are both coffee lovers started the business in 1998.
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Tuesday, Gatchalian expressed optimism of the coffee business.
He is very optimistic of the special coffee industry with various coffee blends they served that attract other age bracket of the market.
"The industry really is growing especially with the age of coffee drinkers getting younger," he said.
"The entry of young coffee drinkers who choose the cold blend is an indication that the market is getting bigger," he said.
Gatchalian said that they observed about 10 to 15 percent growth rate annually even as he said that the highest growth so far was in 2004.
He said their monthly need for coffee roast beans is already 100 kilos for their three coffee shops in Davao City.
They sourced their supply from Manila because it is only there that they could avail of a roasting facility.
He however said that although they sourced their supply from Manila they are still patronizing the coffee beans produced in Davao because coffee growers ship their produce there.
"It is only in Manila where there is a facility for roasting according to their specific blends," he said.
Gatchalian said that they started with ten to 15 kilos beans when they started in 1998.
He also said that they make 400 cups of coffee daily on the average. Gatchalian was among the owners of coffee shops that joined the 1st SM City Davao Coffee Festival held July 9 to 11, 2005 at the mall's entertainment plaza.
During the opening of the Coffee Festival, SM City mall manager Debby Uy said the event was conceptualized to highlight coffee drinking as a lifestyle.
"Coffee drinking has gone a long way from just a regular morning "pick-me" to an extreme necessity as a sleep-wander for all-nighters," she said.
She said the festival highlights the SM's coffee counters creativity of the best coffee creations of Davaoenos.
She said coffee drinking not only connotes familial bonding with friendships made or renewed but also leads to powerful business negotiations from the simplest brew to the fanciest concoction. (PIA)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 13, 2005 issue)
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