Billionaire Manuel Villar is investing P225 million to expand a new coffee chain under the brand Coffee Project.
Villar said in a recent interview he planned to have 23 Coffee Project outlets by end-2017. It now has seven stores including those at Wil Tower in Quezon City, Metropolis mall in Alabang, Vista Mall Sta. Rosa, Vista Mall Pampanga and Vista Mall Bataan.
Villar, chairman of property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., said he decided to venture into coffee business because he himself is a coffee drinker.
“I always wanted to have a coffee shop. I had always thought that if I were to put up a food chain, it will be a coffee shop concept,” said Villar.
Possible sites for new branches include Legaspi and Salcedo Villages in Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Lakefront in Muntinlupa, Parañaque and Vista City in Daanghari, he said.
Villar said that most of the sites are in properties owned by members of the Villar group.
“We just need to put a branch at the ground floor of these buildings,” he said.
Villar said the Coffee Project’s ongoing expansion would initially focus on Mega Manila, but plans were also underway to expand in other cities such as as Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Malolos, Bulacan.
“We have a nice ambience. I am a firm believer in ambience. You should drink coffee in a good ambience. Coffee is half flavor and half ambience. So a coffee shop should look nice. Because flavor is a matter of opinion,” he said.
Coffee Project opened its first branch in Alabang one and a half years ago.