Philippines – The Jollibee Group has announced the opening of the first Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) branch in the Philippines at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City.
With a mission to promote specialty coffee and all-day brunch, Common Man Coffee Roasters has expanded from Singapore to Malaysia and, more recently, the Philippines. Additionally, the business sells and roasts coffee beans. Besides that, it oversees the Coffee Barista Academy in Singapore and Malaysia, which provides thorough coffee education to both baristas and coffee lovers.
For context, in August 2023, the Jollibee Group disclosed that it was working with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) through FCJB Foods Inc. to manage Common Man Coffee Roasters’ and Tiong Bahru Bakery ownership and management in the Philippines. The Jollibee Group owns 60% of FCJB Foods Inc. in this business partnership.
The café offers a wide range of specialty coffee options on its menu in the Philippines, with selections like the Nitro Honey Oat Latte and Filter Brew. The brunch menu, the Common Man Full Breakfast—which includes sausage, bacon, portobello mushrooms, hash browns, baked chorizo beans prepared in-house, and greens—also comes with handmade sourdough. Common Man Beef Brisket Benedict, which offers a dish of soft braised beef topped with creamy hollandaise and poached eggs.
Speaking about the launch, Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group’s president and CEO, expressed, “We’re excited to bring the Common Man Coffee Roasters in the country and give the community an elevated café experience. Common Man’s consciously sourced coffee and numerous deliciously healthy brunch options contribute to this experience and help fulfil our mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone. We invite everyone to come visit our first ever Common Man Coffee Roasters café.”
Meanwhile, Koon Beng Chua, CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, “Having a roastery on site for us to showcase the roasting method will not only help the customers understand the coffee process better, but it will also offer a unique dining and sensory experience for them.”
Speaking about the partnership, Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group chief business officer, said, “This is the first café from our partnership with the Spa Esprit Group and we’re looking forward to expanding the Common Man Coffee Roasters experience to more people. The strong collaboration between the two partners is very evident and is greatly rewarded by the enjoyment we see from people upon entering the café and upon tasting our menu selections. We recognize the increasingly discerning palate of Filipinos and we’re here to delight them.”