Khoffee Group Corp. has reopened Arabica Philippines whose local operations ceased in 2022.
The Japanese coffee shop’s newest store at Mitsukoshi BGC in Taguig is the brand’s 157th store worldwide.
Arabica Philippines and The Khoffee Group chief operations officer Koko Tamura said the global coffee brand has always admired Filipino baristas because of their natural warmth, eagerness to learn and friendly personality.
Tamura said Arabica supports the development of the Filipino baristas’ potential as global coffee ambassadors by encouraging them to join international competitions.
The brand’s devotion to excellence has driven management to undergo Filipino baristas a rigorous month-long training process. Local baristas have regular evaluations to maintain excellent performance standards. They also go through an auditing process even after store operations begin.
“The local baristas in our roster right now is our pioneer team. If they want to grow and climb up the ladder to become future supervisors, store managers, and champion baristas, we will support them every step of the way. Kenneth Shoji, the founder of Arabica, is a firm believer of investing in people and empowering them to reach their full potential,” Tamura said.
Renowned Arabica global barista Kobe Lee also cited the integration of the Japanese philosophy of ‘Kaizen’ which emphasizes continuous improvement in their approach,
“Like our founder would always say, ‘Kaizen your daily. In everything you do, apply the concept of Kaizen.’ For example, you’re doing your 1000th cup but it’s the customer’s first cup. If your 1000th cup is not as good as your other cups, the customer trying it for the first time will not come back. So improve and better yourself daily so you can achieve anything,” Lee said.
