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%arabica Coffee Abandoned by Foreign Partnership Agent, Former Partner Creates Philippine Local Coffee Brand to Go Solo!

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Coffee Workshop previously reported that Filipino netizens posted about all local %arabica coffee shops suddenly closing with locked doors. Consequently, local netizens and media inquired whether %arabica was exiting the Philippine market. Subsequently, %arabica announced on Facebook that he

A while ago, Coffee Workshop reported that Filipino netizens posted about the sudden closure of all %arabica coffee shops in the area, leading local netizens and media to wonder if %arabica was exiting the Philippine market.

Subsequently, %arabica announced on Facebook that they had terminated their partnership with their former Philippine partner, Allue Hortaleza. They also stated that they had found other partner agencies and promised to open new %arabica stores in other locations within the year.

Meanwhile, former partner Allue Hortaleza also posted on Instagram, confirming that this was indeed the case. They also expressed their commitment to continue providing high-quality coffee to everyone.

The Birth of Angkan Coffee

On February 10th, Allue Hortaleza announced the creation of their first Philippine local brand: Angkan Coffee. Since several former %arabica store locations in the Philippines are owned by Allue Hortaleza, this local coffee brand will be opened at the original sites of the former %arabica stores.

Regarding brand promotion, their business philosophy cannot be said to be exactly identical to %arabica's, but rather heavily "borrowed"... They provide customers with freshly roasted coffee beans, warm and welcoming service, comfortable and pleasant spaces, and dynamic menus... They strive to update their menu quarterly, introduce more "specialty drinks" created by their baristas, highlight the creativity of local people in coffee, and compete on the global barista competition stage...

Borrowing Brand Style and Creating Local Identity

In addition to borrowing business concepts, they also "borrowed" brand style... %arabica is a Japanese local coffee shop that, while showcasing different coffee beans from around the world, still maintains a very distinct Japanese feel.

So Allue Hortaleza borrowed from this! She also wanted to create a brand with local style aesthetics for Angkan Coffee. Therefore, she expressed her commitment to strongly source local Philippine coffee beans, blend the stores with modern Philippine aesthetics and traditional Filipino hospitality, and vigorously purchase and promote local Philippine coffee beans while helping local coffee farmers with cultivation. (The stores probably haven't been renovated yet... no related images found)

A Different Path Forward

However, regarding all of this, Allue Hortaleza still stated: Angkan Coffee is different from %arabica! After all, different cultural influences help form the unique and colorful history of a local Philippine coffee brand... Moreover, she firmly believes that this local Philippine brand will definitely influence the subsequent "restart" of %arabica in the Philippines...

Well, okay! Just as mentioned in the previous article: netizens said she was foolish for ending the partnership just as the coffee shop business was picking up after surviving the pandemic, which seemed somewhat irrational. But as facts have proven, she knew that the coffee shop business was doing well now, which is why she decided to "split up." At the same time, she is riding on the "coattails" of %arabica, saying "I want to create a local Philippine coffee brand."

Em... this story's plot feels somewhat familiar...