CEBUANO coffee chain Bo’s Coffee has introduced an advance ordering system that is one of its first steps toward digitalization.
Steve Benitez, Bo’s Coffee chief executive officer, said the Botty, an advance ordering system that allows customers to order online and pay cashless, is the company’s “first of many developments toward digitalization.”
“We’re using technology to enhance customer experience,” the Cebuano entrepreneur said in an interview at the launch of the system Thursday, July 25, 2019.
The firm’s digitalization foray comes at a time of increasing mobile-driven consumers and the expanding digital payment system.
Benitez pointed out that his company is essentially looking at technology to boost its operations.
“One way to get us to the future is through technology,” he said.
“The inspiration comes from what we see happening abroad,” he adied.
The company’s Botty system has a secure and cashless digital payment system with Smart Communications-led PayMaya.
Bo’s Coffee chief operating officer Rachel Fallarme said the goal of the system is to allow customers to skip the line and to give them various payment options, including cash, PayMaya, credit and debit cards.
The company is eyeing other online payment options such as Grabpay and Globe’s GCash.
Currently, the new system is linked to the company’s over 46 branches nationwide, 19 of which are strategic stores throughout Cebu, including those at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Fallarme said they are working to have all their stores use the system, including the franchised branches.
System developer Cary Gee initially developed Botty with the Singaporean market in mind.
But he later decided to bring it to the Philippines through Bo’s Coffee when he saw similar patterns in the Singaporean and Philippine consumer markets, both of which are fast-paced, in need of personalization while skipping the queue, and have a good percentage of the market using Messenger instead of downloaded apps.
Meanwhile, Benitez, who was recently recognized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry as this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year, was looking to hit 200 branches of this coffee chain by 2020.
Benitez started a small kiosk of Bo’s Coffee in 1996 in Ayala Center Cebu selling brewed coffee at P15 and cappuccino at P25.
Eight months after opening in Ayala, Benitez brought the brand to SM City Cebu.
It was in 2017 when he launched his first overseas store in Qatar at Bin Omran.
Last April, he announced the company is going big in Middle East by opening five new branches in Qatar.