Kopi Kubo's Coffee Revolution

Summary

In this inspiring story, the founder of Kopi Kubo discusses the unexpected success of their affordable local coffee initiative, aimed at supporting Filipino coffee farmers, promoting healthy alternatives to instant coffee, and providing employment opportunities for indigenous communities. Despite initial comparisons to Starbucks, the goal is to empower locals and create sustainable, affordable solutions for the coffee industry. By cutting out middlemen and promoting local produce, Kopi Kubo is revolutionizing coffee culture in the provinces, with hopes of a future where everyone enjoys brewed coffee, leading to greater self-sufficiency and less dependence on expensive imported products.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Kopi Kubo brand became unexpectedly popular, gaining viral attention and being compared to Starbucks, a comparison the owner dislikes.
• 😀 They introduced affordable brewed coffee, priced at 10 pesos, with a 5-peso discount for those bringing their own cups, making it competitive with local carinderia coffee prices.
• 😀 The coffee industry is structured in a way that coffee farmers earn very little, with coffee shop owners making a higher profit due to added costs like branding and labor.
• 😀 Kopi Kubo's mission is threefold: support local coffee farmers, discourage unhealthy three-in-one coffee, and create local employment opportunities.
• 😀 Many Filipinos unknowingly consume foreign brands like Kopiko and Nescafe, which are often mistaken for local products, highlighting a gap in consumer awareness.
• 😀 The company prioritizes employing the Aeta community (indigenous peoples), offering them barista training and emphasizing the importance of learning about coffee origins.
• 😀 The owner emphasizes that fame and financial gain from the business are not their primary goals; instead, they focus on empowering others and helping the Filipino people.
• 😀 Kopi Kubo also works to address the high cost of produce in the Philippines by eliminating middlemen and sourcing directly from local farmers.
• 😀 They introduced affordable brewed coffee in the province, a first of its kind in the area, providing a special coffee experience that wasn’t available before.
• 😀 The goal of the coffee revolution is for it to spread across cities, making brewed coffee accessible everywhere, which would render the need for a Kopi Kubo unnecessary if successful.

Q & A

What was the initial goal behind starting Kopi Kubo?

The initial goal was to provide affordable brewed coffee while supporting local coffee farmers, discouraging the consumption of unhealthy three-in-one coffee, and creating employment opportunities, especially for the Aeta community.

Why did the founder dislike being compared to Starbucks?

The founder disliked the comparison to Starbucks because he didn’t like the brand and felt that it overshadowed the unique goals and mission of Kopi Kubo, which were focused on supporting local farmers and communities.

What was the significance of introducing cheap brewed coffee at Kopi Kubo?

By introducing brewed coffee at a low price (10 pesos, or 5 pesos with your own cup), Kopi Kubo aimed to make coffee more affordable than traditional options, competing with the lower-cost three-in-one coffee found in carinderias (local eateries).

How does the coffee industry affect coffee farmers?

The coffee industry is described as inverted because coffee farmers receive very little profit compared to those selling the final products like Starbucks. For example, making a Starbucks coffee costs around 7 cents, but the additional costs, such as cups, branding, labor, and building rentals, drive up the price.

What were the three main missions behind Kopi Kubo?

The three main missions were to support local coffee farmers, discourage the consumption of unhealthy three-in-one coffee, and create employment for indigenous peoples, especially the Aeta community.

How does Kopi Kubo address misconceptions about coffee brands in the Philippines?

Kopi Kubo works to educate people that many popular coffee brands, like Kopiko and Nescafe, are actually made abroad (e.g., Indonesia and Switzerland), even though many Filipinos believe they are locally produced.

What training do the staff receive at Kopi Kubo?

Staff, especially from the Aeta community, undergo training that lasts about a week. Some can become baristas in just three days, although the founder encourages them to research and learn more about the origins and process of coffee to deepen their understanding.

What is the founder’s perspective on fame and financial success?

The founder believes that fame and financial success have diminishing returns. After a certain point, being featured on TV or counting money no longer brings self-fulfillment. His focus shifted to making a meaningful impact by helping others.

How does Kopi Kubo address the issue of high produce prices in the Philippines?

Kopi Kubo helps combat high produce prices by bypassing middlemen and buying directly from farmers, thus making produce more affordable for consumers, especially in rural areas.

What is the founder’s vision for the future of the coffee revolution in the Philippines?

The founder hopes that the coffee revolution will spread across the country, making brewed coffee widely accessible and affordable. His ultimate goal is for there to be so many coffee vendors that places like Kopi Kubo will no longer be needed because brewed coffee will be the norm.