Black Sheep Coffee, the speciality coffee shop operator, is launching its first international site in the Philippines in partnership with some minor shareholders in the business, MCA understands.
The shop will open in the Mall of Asia, in Manila, and if successful could see further sites in the Philippines and wider South East Asia region.
Black Sheep co-chief executive Gabriel Shohet told MCA the site would be corporate owned and managed by partners based in the region who have a minor investment in the overall group.
Shohet said he saw great potentials in the Philippines, which has a strong coffee culture, double digit growth, year on year growth, and long trading hours.
He said: “If it goes well and is a success, absolutely we would like to do more. It’s a great opportunity for us.
“We will definitely look to open more not just in Manilla, but in the wider region.
“Coffee has seen double digit year on year growth in the Philippines over the next few years.
“There isn’t a pub culture, which means people hang out in coffee shops until 3am, there’s longer trading hours.”
Of the operators based in the Philippines, Shohet added: “They are good friends of ours who we met through university, and who invested in us, and have a minor stake in the company.
“It’s not a typical franchise relationship or joint venture, it’s more of a hybrid.
“They have a family business, with some restaurants and retail expertise – though they do not operate big chains or franchises.”
