The Khoffee Group Corp. brought back the operations of Arabica in the Philippines with the opening of its newest store in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The Japanese coffee shop’s newest branch is located at Mitsukoshi BGC in Taguig.
Arabica Philippines and The Khoffee Group chief operations officer Koko Tamura said the global coffee brand always admired Filipino baristas because of their eagerness to learn and naturally warm and friendly personality.
Tamura said Arabica wanted to continuously develop the Filipino baristas’ potential to become global coffee ambassadors by supporting and encouraging them to join international competitions.
Given Arabica’s devotion to excellence, Filipino baristas undergo a month-long rigorous 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 underlined the integration of the Japanese philosophy of ‘Kaizen,’ emphasizing 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.
Arabica’s dedication to developing Filipino baristas’ skills and providing them with opportunities to compete globally reflects its commitment to providing quality coffee and excellent customer service.
The company’s focus on local baristas’ growth and development sets it apart from its competitors and reinforces its position as a global coffee brand with a local heart.