Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee is set to make its international debut this month with its first outlet in Quezon City, the Philippines.
The tech-centric coffee chain launched its inaugural store in Binjai towards the end of 2019 and currently manages around 290 stores throughout Malaysia.
In a LinkedIn post, Chief Operating Officer Venon Tian announced that ZUS Coffee intends to establish six outlets in the Philippines by the conclusion of 2023.
ZUS Coffee’s introduction to the international market in the Philippines has been in the works since March 2023 when the Filipino restaurant group Choi Garden Restaurant Company acquired a 35% stake in the coffee chain.
Speaking at the signing of the agreement, Choi Garden’s Chief Operating Officer Janica Lao said, “ZUS Coffee’s growth in Malaysia has been very quick in the last three years and they are incredibly determined in serving the local Malaysian market with localised flavours. We believe that they will do the same thing in the Philippines market.”
ZUS Coffee joins the roster of Asian coffee chains looking to expand in the Philippines this year, intensifying the competition among Southeast Asia’s coffee franchises.
The Japanese boutique café group % Arabica made its return to the Philippines in July 2023, following an 18-month hiatus during which it shuttered its three local stores. The Manila branch is anticipated to serve as a precursor to the opening of a % Arabica roastery in the Filipino capital before the year’s end.
The subsequent month, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), a fast-food group, established a joint venture enterprise with Singapore’s Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) to introduce Common Man Coffee Roasters to the Philippines. The inaugural location of this partnership, which also encompasses an agreement to introduce Tiong Bahru Bakery to the country, is scheduled to open in the coming months.
At the same time, Berjaya Food from Malaysia is gearing up to launch the inaugural Paris Baguette store in the Philippines during the fourth quarter of 2023, with plans to open five more outlets within the next year. Berjaya Food had previously introduced the South Korean bakery café chain to Malaysia in January 2023.