Coffee is a huge part in the hospitality industry, with it being offered at F&B outlets and in every room. A luxury integrated casino resort enhances its eco-efficient operations with its new holistic initiatives on coffee.
“As a socially and environmentally responsible business, we are always looking for ways on how we can strengthen our sustainability practices through a holistic approach throughout the property,” said City of Dreams Manila chief operating officer Kevin Benning.
COD Manila said it sources coffee beans from local farmers, repurposes used coffee grounds as organic fertilizers, and recycles coffee capsules in guest rooms.
Benning added, “Our latest undertaking towards sourcing and repurposing coffee that we serve in our outlets reflects our commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting the Philippine coffee industry, while at the same time enhancing our guests’ quality experience.”
Farm to cup concept
The Roaster, the newest café located at The Garage VR zone and food park, uses locally sourced coffee. In partnership with the Philippine Coffee Board Inc., City of Dreams Manila regularly sources fresh Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica coffee beans from local farmers in Sulu, Benguet, Batangas, and Cavite. The beans are then roasted in-house at The Roaster, one of the few establishments in the city that owns a state-of-the-art Probat machine.
PCBI worked closely with the resort’s procurement department and the chefs, who, having been trained in how best to blend different local varieties, then created artisanal concoctions. The Roaster’s Brew, the café’s signature coffee drink, is made of various local coffee beans and served freshly brewed from The Roaster’s cutting-edge steampunk machine.
Michael Ziemer, vice president for hotels and F&B, said the local premium coffee now offered at The Roaster will also be available in other City of Dreams Manila-operated outlets.
Ziemer, who also heads the resort’s Sustainability Committee, added that they continue to source more coffee variants from other regions in the country, to serve more flavors of artisanal coffee to guests.
Composting used coffee grounds
In addition to advocating for local coffee, the integrated casino resort in Parañaque City is making full use of every coffee bean, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
About 54 kilos of used coffee grounds are being gathered daily from the different kitchens and outlets of the property, which are then brought to the property’s vermicomposting area to create organic fertilizers.
Rich in nitrogen, an essential element to enrich soil and provide nutrients to plants, used coffee grounds, together with other organic waste such as vegetable trimmings, fruit peelings, and eggshell remains are fed to the worms at the property’s vermicomposting chambers. The by-product of the process are vermicast and vermitea, which are then being used as potent compost and fertilizer to the greenhouse nursery and herb garden at the roof deck of the parking building and to different ornamental plants across the property.
Recycling with Nespresso
City of Dreams Manila is also joining hands with Nespresso’s commitment to sustainability by taking an active part in the coffee brand’s capsule recycling program. Instead of ending up in landfills, the used coffee capsules, which are made from aluminum—a recyclable material—are collected from the rooms of the property’s three Forbes Stars-awarded luxury hotels Nuwa, Nobu, and Hyatt Regency.
Nespresso then turns over the used capsules to a recycling partner to mix with other recycled aluminum and transform into raw materials again. Some used coffee capsules are given new life through upcycling by Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation artisans who turn them into decorative items, which are then sold at bazaars, fairs, and online platforms.