Living in Tagum, it's always a delight when a new establishment/restaurant/store decides to set up camp in the city.
Last week, the King of Coffee did just that.
I welcomed this new comer with open arms and a very open mind.
This particular encounter with the King of Coffee amazed me and made me feel very proud for having this Mindanao-born brand with us. Find out why by reading on!
This particular encounter with the King of Coffee amazed me and made me feel very proud for having this Mindanao-born brand with us. Find out why by reading on!
There is no Davaoeño that does not know of Bluegré. As a Davao Made brand, every Davaoeño is proud of this coffee shop's success.
So on February 22, 2013, The King of Coffees opens at the Nicole 22nd Strip, Tagum City.
I think this is a really great spot for Blugré since it's a distance away from the city proper, making it an ideal place to relax and just get away. It's also located right next to the street so it's easy to find. Plus, you get to pass it by if you're headed to the new City Hall site of Tagum!
On that Friday, I got to witness the opening of this branch together with the owners, staff and guests.
There was the blessing of the store and staff and of course, the ribbon cutting.
On that Friday, I got to witness the opening of this branch together with the owners, staff and guests.
There was the blessing of the store and staff and of course, the ribbon cutting.
In the photo above, you can see the Divinagracia kids happily cutting the ribbon to commemorate the opening of the café.
After the blessing were the cocktails, music and chit-chat. The Blugré staff took care of all the guests like any Davaoeño would; they were all warm and very hospitable.
They prepared a buffet table for all the guests, serving us mini-versions of their menu.
After the blessing were the cocktails, music and chit-chat. The Blugré staff took care of all the guests like any Davaoeño would; they were all warm and very hospitable.
They prepared a buffet table for all the guests, serving us mini-versions of their menu.
Among the array of food were Red Velvet cupcakes, Sausages and Sandwiches. I regret not taking photos of the pasta which I LOVED. I probably had three plates. I got them all sneaky-like.
During the cocktails, I got to talk to Sir Benjamin Cuaresma, Vice President for Franchise, and got a few inside information which he shared with us.
Blugré, which I thought was a Davao brand, actually wants to represent Mindanao. And why not? I think it has the power to do so. They plan to open 20+ branches nationwide this year and also open branches outside of the Philippines! And as I said, they want to be known as a Mindanao brand.
So, why a Mindanao brand and not just a Davao brand?
From what I grasped from what Sir Benjie said, Blugré wants to bring a good image of Mindanao to other countries. In my experience, I've had foreign friends think that Mindanao was a war-zone or a very dangerous place to visit and that they'd rather stay in Luzon or Visayas. It was a blow, somewhat, to me since I know that Mindanao isn't all bad. When I heard of what Blugré wanted to do, I felt really moved by it.
I can do nothing now except support them all the way! I urge you to do the same, readers! If you're not from Mindanao and happen to see a Blugré store, check them out! You won't regret it!
Other projects Blugré did was a tree planting project. They've already planted 210 trees in Davao and are planning to plant 200 more trees in Tagum. They also have a program called Blugré Gives Back, where they extended help to a certain tribe (I forgot the name, sorry).
Blugré has surprised and amazed me all in one afternoon.
So, guys, see you in Blugré someday?
During the cocktails, I got to talk to Sir Benjamin Cuaresma, Vice President for Franchise, and got a few inside information which he shared with us.
Blugré, which I thought was a Davao brand, actually wants to represent Mindanao. And why not? I think it has the power to do so. They plan to open 20+ branches nationwide this year and also open branches outside of the Philippines! And as I said, they want to be known as a Mindanao brand.
So, why a Mindanao brand and not just a Davao brand?
From what I grasped from what Sir Benjie said, Blugré wants to bring a good image of Mindanao to other countries. In my experience, I've had foreign friends think that Mindanao was a war-zone or a very dangerous place to visit and that they'd rather stay in Luzon or Visayas. It was a blow, somewhat, to me since I know that Mindanao isn't all bad. When I heard of what Blugré wanted to do, I felt really moved by it.
I can do nothing now except support them all the way! I urge you to do the same, readers! If you're not from Mindanao and happen to see a Blugré store, check them out! You won't regret it!
Other projects Blugré did was a tree planting project. They've already planted 210 trees in Davao and are planning to plant 200 more trees in Tagum. They also have a program called Blugré Gives Back, where they extended help to a certain tribe (I forgot the name, sorry).
Blugré has surprised and amazed me all in one afternoon.
So, guys, see you in Blugré someday?
This is a great post and you have really nice photography here. Blugre looks like a really nice, pleasant coffee shop with a good corporate attitude and responsibility. I hope they'll continue to branch out and cover more of Mindanao, as I would like to go try it out when I am visiting Mindanao next time. I've not traveled to Tagum City, but would like to visit there some time. I look forward to following your blog and learning more about Tagum City and Davao area.
ReplyDeleteAng akong asawa is originally from Mindanao, been married 19 years now. Feel free to come visit my blog (http://theblackswampcornucopia.blogspot.com/) anytime, I have quite a few posts about our travels with our daughter in Philippines (including some Mindanao posts) and in the US. I really love the Philippines and its people, and have great admiration for Filipino culture.
As an American, I find it unfortunate that others have the false perceptions and misconceptions of Mindanao that you describe. Usually here in the US, it's not too many of the Kanos who have these feelings (as they often don't really have a clue and are ignorant of what's happening in Mindanao), but often these opinions come from our Filipino-American friends who are largely from Luzon and Metro Manila. They unfortunately often have that opinion, and ask us if we're scared traveling in Mindanao, to which I answer "no". Use common sense and familiarity with where you're going and danger signals, and knowledge (from trusted family and locals) of where it is safe and not safe, and for the most part travelers will be fine. There are dangerous places all over the world, indeed some in Mindanao and in many of the cities in America, in Europe, in every country and continentI think it's just a matter of getting out the good word and educating them what a nice area it can be for tourism, natural beauty, history, commerce, education, agriculture, light industry, etc. I think Blugre will help out so much with this good public relations for Mindanao.
Amping!