FAST-FOOD giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has entered the specialty coffee business with the opening of Singapore's Common Man Coffee Roasters' first store in the Philippines.

"We're excited to bring the Common Man Coffee Roasters into the country and give the community an elevated café experience," JFC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement on Tuesday.

Tanmantiong said last week's opening of the new coffee store at Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati affirmed the group's commitment to fulfilling its "mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone."

In August, JFC, through its 60-percent-owned unit FCJB Foods Inc., entered into a joint venture with Singapore-based Food Collective Pte. Ltd. to own and operate the specialty coffee brand in the country.

"This is the first café from our partnership with the Spa Esprit Group, and we're looking forward to expanding the Common Man Coffee Roasters experience to more people," Joseph Tanbuntiong, the group's chief business officer, said.

"The strong collaboration between the two partners is very evident and is greatly rewarded by the enjoyment we see from people upon entering the café and upon tasting our menu selections," he added.

Common Man Coffee Roasters has been operating for more than 10 years and has expanded from Singapore to Malaysia and now to the Philippines, with the goal of championing the specialty coffee industry.

"Having a roastery on site for us to showcase the roasting method will not only help the customers understand the coffee process better, but it will also offer a unique dining and sensory experience for them," said Koon Beng Chua, CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, which operates the brand in Singapore.

In October, JFC announced that it had signed a contract with Ayala Malls for Common Man Coffee Roasters' first location in the Philippines.

William Tan Untiong, the company's chief real estate and design officer, noted that the location was at the "heart of Makati's central business district and a hub for many great concepts in the city."

JFC shares on Tuesday fell by P3.80, or 1.42 percent, to close at P263 apiece amid a 0.65-percent drop in the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index.

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