How to Franchise Bo’s Coffee in the Philippines

Bo’s Coffee is one of the few homegrown Filipino cafe brands to grow into a nationwide chain, built on locally sourced beans. If you’re considering a franchise, here’s what to expect.

Behind the Brand

Bo’s Coffee was founded in Cebu in 1996 by Steve Benitez, with a focus on sourcing and roasting Philippine-grown coffee beans. It has since expanded to branches nationwide, positioning itself as a proudly local alternative to international coffee chains.

Founder Steve Benitez opened the first branch in Ayala Center Cebu in June 1996, and his business partners backed out two months before the doors opened. Early daily sales ran ₱300 to ₱1,000, against ₱10,000 in monthly rent. The name has nothing to do with Cebu either, Benitez borrowed it from an Italian American coffee expert he met at a roadshow in New Orleans.

Why Bo’s Coffee Can Be a Good Business

Bo’s Coffee has built its identity around “buy local” sentiment and homegrown quality, which resonates with a growing segment of Filipino consumers. It also has a long operating history (since 1996), giving it a track record most local cafe brands don’t have.

What Franchisees and Customers Are Saying

Positive: “Hand-poured coffee takes about 7 minutes to prepare. We had the Atok, Sagada, and Mt. Apo blends. You can never go wrong with highland coffees.”, TripAdvisor review, Bo’s Coffee Cebu City branch, January 2025.

Critical: “It was my first time to try Bo’s Coffee. Their chocolate cake is a perfect match to what we have ordered… However, the staff are not so welcoming and not friendly.”, TripAdvisor review, “Rude Staff,” July 2022.

Critical (delivery): “I waited 3 hours for my order but it didn’t arrive. No proper contact number!”, TripAdvisor review, January 2023.

The coffee itself gets consistently good marks; service speed and staff friendliness are where complaints cluster, which is worth building into franchisee training.

Bo’s Coffee Franchise Requirements

Here’s the investment picture you’re working with:

• Franchise Fee: Around ₱1,000,000 to ₱1,500,000, depending on the source and store format.
• Total Investment: Estimates vary by format and source, generally falling between ₱7,000,000 and ₱20,000,000. Confirm the current package directly with Bo’s Coffee, as figures differ across listings.
• Royalty Fee: Around 5% of monthly sales (some sources cite up to 7%).
• Marketing Fee: Around 2% of monthly sales.

How to Franchise Bo’s Coffee in the Philippines

Here’s how to take it from interest to opening day:

1. Contact Bo’s Coffee’s franchising team at ••••••••••••••••••••••• or by phone at +63 917 624 0642 / +63 917 635 1520 / (02) 8650 9894.
2. Request the current franchise package and application requirements, including proposed site details.
3. Submit your Letter of Intent and required documents for evaluation.
4. If approved, proceed to franchise agreement signing, store build-out, and training.

Who Is a Bo’s Coffee Franchise Best For?

Bo’s has a specific identity, homegrown, Cebu-rooted, single-origin beans. Here’s who that resonates with as an owner, not just a customer.

• Entrepreneurs who want to back a homegrown Filipino brand rather than an international chain.
• Those with several million pesos in capital who can secure a commercial or mall-adjacent site.
• People who value brand story and local sourcing as part of their pitch to customers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Bo’s Coffee Franchise

Homegrown brands trade one set of advantages for another compared to the international chains. Here’s the honest split.

What works in your favor:

• Nearly 30 years of operating history and an established “proudly Filipino” brand identity.
• Appeals to a growing local-sourcing and support-local consumer trend.
• Established training and support systems from a brand that has scaled nationwide.

Now the part worth sitting with.

What you’re taking on:

• Published figures vary significantly by source (₱7M to ₱20M total investment), making it harder to budget precisely before direct discussions with the brand.
• Smaller international recognition compared to Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which may matter in tourist-heavy locations.
• Ongoing royalty (around 5%) and marketing fee (around 2%) apply on top of your investment.

Cheaper Alternatives to Bo’s Coffee

Want to keep the coffee theme at a lower price point? Consider these:

• Farron Cafe, a smaller-format local cafe option, worth comparing on investment size.
• Big Brew, another homegrown cafe brand at a different price point.

See our Top 6 Cafe Franchises in the Philippines roundup for a fuller comparison.

Alternative Franchise Opportunities

Beyond the cheaper options above, here’s how Bo’s Coffee compares to other coffee shop franchises in the Philippines:

• Figaro Coffee, running since 1993, positions as a European café experience aimed at a more affluent, professional customer.
• Coffee Project, Villar Group-owned, design-forward interiors targeting a younger, Instagram-first crowd.
• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, international chain consistency and a loyalty-card ecosystem, versus Bo’s homegrown-beans identity.
• Pickup Coffee, ultra-affordable, kiosk/pickup-only model for coffee-to-go pricing rather than a sit-down café.

See our full list of cafe franchises in the Philippines for more options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s what people usually want to know before franchising Bo’s.

How much is the Bo’s Coffee franchise fee?

Roughly ₱1,000,000 to ₱1,500,000, though this varies by format and source, confirm directly with Bo’s Coffee.

What are the ongoing fees?

A royalty fee of around 5% and a marketing fee of around 2% of monthly sales.

Who do I contact to apply?

•••••••••••••••••••••••, or +63 917 624 0642 / +63 917 635 1520 / (02) 8650 9894.

Official Franchise Page

Bo’s Coffee Official Franchising Page