Philippines %Arabica Suddenly Closes All Stores, Arabica Coffee Official Account Suddenly Deleted?!

%Arabica Suddenly Closes All Stores in the Philippines

On January 30, Filipino netizens posted on social media that the %Arabica store in Taguig City had suddenly closed. Netizens in other parts of the country soon reported that %Arabica stores across the Philippines were shut. Because the closure came without warning, and because %Arabica's official Instagram account (arabica.journal) was also deactivated at the same time, local netizens and media began asking whether %Arabica was withdrawing from the Philippine market.

%Arabica's Official Response

On January 31, %Arabica Coffee announced on Facebook that it was ending its partnership with its Philippine partner, Allue Hortaleza. As a result, all existing %Arabica stores in the Philippines would temporarily close. At the same time, %Arabica said it had already found a new agency for the Philippine market and promised to resume operations of its Philippine stores this year, though the locations would change.

The company also explained that the Instagram account (arabica.journal) had appeared deactivated because it had been hacked, and that it was working with the platform to restore it. By the time of writing, the account had been restored and updated.

Public Reaction and Social Media Exchange

Netizens responded with frustration. One comment read: "Even if you need to close temporarily, you should have told us in advance. It made us think %Arabica was pulling out of the Philippine market." %Arabica replied to that comment: "We did not know our former partner would suddenly suspend store operations. They indicated they would open their own brand coffee shop at the original locations."

Former Partner's Statement

On February 1, %Arabica's former Philippine partner, Allue Hortaleza, posted a statement on Instagram saying that although the partnership with %Arabica had ended, the company would continue working to provide high-quality coffee.

Public Opinion and Future Outlook

Both sides issued statements, but many netizens felt the split was poorly timed. After two years of the pandemic, the Philippine economy is just beginning to recover and more people are spending at coffee shops again. %Arabica has long been a popular, photogenic cafe where Filipino netizens love to check in, and its coffee quality has been consistently stable and excellent. Business, they argue, was only going to improve, so the breakup may prove unwise.

Perhaps the former partner saw that recovery and decided to strike out on its own, keeping the profits rather than sharing them with %Arabica. Whether the former partner's coffee shop can thrive without the %Arabica name remains to be seen.

Image source: the internet.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The story is a reminder of how much specialty coffee today rests on single-origin Arabica. Arabica has the widest range of varieties and the most complex, clean flavors, which is why it dominates the specialty market, while Robusta is bolder and richer in crema and is mostly used in espresso blends and instant coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's line leans heavily toward Arabica, and two beans make a good introduction. FrontStreet Huakui is an Ethiopian heirloom, a mixed landrace whose beans vary in size and carry delicate florals with pronounced fruit. Sun-dried in the classic style, it shows creamy strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus, and blueberry, the ripe tropical character that won it first place in its year's TOH green bean competition.

If Huakui represents sun-dried Ethiopian Arabica, FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperatively represents the washed side. Yirgacheffe is known for clean, bright lemon and citrus, and the Gedeb station in the village of Gedeb belongs to the Yirgacheffe group. Gedeb is graded G1, Ethiopia's highest grade, and its washed process gives elegant white florals, citrus, orange, and green tea. For balance, FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 is a Typica, one of the archetypal Arabica varieties, and after more than two centuries in Jamaica it has developed good disease resistance. Its flavor is remarkably even, mild and smooth, with no sharp acidity, and it remains the bean many professionals call the easiest fine coffee for almost anyone to love.

For the famous Geisha profile, FrontStreet Panama Red Label Geisha comes from Esmeralda Estate in Boquete, Chiriquí Province, where fertile volcanic soil, old forest, near-constant mist, and abundant rain create ideal growing conditions. The cup shows elegant florals, citrus, peach, and complex fruit acidity, a creamy texture, and an oolong-tea sweetness on the finish. FrontStreet Brazil Queen Farm, a rare Yellow Bourbon, brings cream, peanut, toasted bread, and sugarcane in a rich, sweet cup that suits pour-over, moka pot, and espresso alike. And FrontStreet Colombia Sidra traces to a variety first found in Pichincha, Ecuador; after the champion barista Anthony Douglas used a Sidra from Finca El Diviso at the 2022 World Barista Championship, the variety drew worldwide attention. FrontStreet's Sidra is medium-light roasted and shows florals, tropical fruit, grape, dried fruit, and passion fruit with a juice-like body.