Introduction:Allue Hortaleza, the former local partner of %Arabica in the Philippines, has terminated their collaboration with the brand and launched a homegrown brand, Angkan Coffee, directly taking over the original %Arabica location. The new brand draws inspiration from %Arabica in style and business philosophy, but emphasizes the use of locally sourced Philippine coffee beans, blending local culture with warm hospitality. This article details the background of the incident, the specifics of the brand transition, and how Angkan Coffee is establishing a distinctly local identity under the shadow of an international brand.

A major adjustment has occurred in %Arabica’s partnership within the Philippine market. The brand officially announced via Facebook that it has ended its relationship with the previous partner, Allue Hortaleza, and has already secured a new agent, with plans to open new stores in other parts of the Philippines within this year.

Allue Hortaleza quickly responded on social media regarding the matter, revealing that her team will continue to provide customers with stable and high-quality coffee products. Even more noteworthy is that she officially launched a brand-new Philippine coffee brand—Angkan Coffee—on February 10.

Notably, since all previous %Arabica stores in the Philippines were owned by Allue Hortaleza, Angkan Coffee chose to open at the exact same location as the former %Arabica outlet, directly inheriting the foot traffic advantage of the prime site.

Angkan Coffee shares many similarities with %Arabica in its operational direction, including offering freshly roasted coffee beans, creating a comfortable and design-forward space, and featuring a dynamic menu that updates quarterly. Additionally, the brand encourages baristas to get creative and develop signature drinks, aiming to showcase the innovation capabilities of Filipino baristas and further advance toward the international coffee competition stage.

In terms of brand visuals and atmosphere creation, Angkan Coffee also references %Arabica’s aesthetic style. As a Japanese-origin coffee brand, %Arabica consistently maintains a strong Japanese minimalist and refined design approach despite offering coffee beans from around the world.

Inspired by this, Allue Hortaleza is determined to shape Angkan Coffee into a brand that embodies a fusion of Filipino aesthetics. She stated that the new brand will source a significant amount of locally grown Philippine coffee beans and combine modern design with the traditional Filipino spirit of hospitality, delivering a consumer experience that balances global vision with local warmth. It also plans to continuously support local coffee farmers and help promote premium Philippine coffee beans. (The store renovation is not yet complete, and related real photos have not been released yet.)

Although there are similarities in brand image and operational model with %Arabica, Allue Hortaleza emphasized that Angkan Coffee is by no means a copy of %Arabica. She pointed out that different cultural backgrounds will endow the Filipino brand with richer and more diverse historical depth and market positioning, and she firmly believes that Angkan Coffee will influence how and in what form %Arabica returns to the Philippine market in the future.

Some external commentators believe that Allue Hortaleza’s decision to part ways with %Arabica at a time when the post-pandemic coffee market is gradually recovering may seem like a risky move, but it actually reflects her grasp of market timing and confidence in the development of local brands. Some observers also consider the new brand’s promotional strategy of leveraging %Arabica’s international image while emphasizing “local innovation” to be a rather smart move.

Regardless of public opinion, the birth of Angkan Coffee marks a new phase for the Philippine coffee market, where local brands are attempting to find a balance between international chains and local culture, and are creating their own unique coffee narratives.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.