DANIEL PADILLA for Cebu Based Coffee Brand DON MACCHIATOS

It's been a while since I've last seen Daniel Padilla, one of the most sought after actors in the country. Life certainly happened, but we got news that he's going to renew ties with Cebu based coffee brand Don Macchiatos Philippines. Honestly, it's the first time for me to hear about them, but learned how they've managed to thrive as an SME, slowly grown even when the country was battling through the pandemic. They're nothing short of a miracle, and now has more than a thousand branches across the country. 

Would you imagine, they all started from a small street side kiosk that had one goal, to provide quality but affordable coffee and beverages for the common folk. I entered the event area seeing one of their kiosks on the side of the venue where they were serving some of their top drinks. One thing caught my attention, the price posted said 39 PESOS on it. The event was graced by Don Macchiatos Don Macchiatos CEO Nickie San Juan, their COO Marc Anthony Abangan and their General Manager Ariel Alegado. We asked them about the business and reasons why Daniel Padilla gets top choice for their brand ambassador.  

Ms. Nickie says "We are really excited to renew our partnership with him because he's been with us since day 1. When we planned to cover Luzon to expand, Deej is someone who really had it in him. He really helped us big time in brand awareness while we were expanding here in Luzon. 

GM Ariel Alegado adds "DJ is very talented, very humble, just like Don Macchiatos, we came from very humble beginnings, but now we are available nationwide. Aside from that, Daniel's team was such a breeze to work with. He's also very approachable so we didn't have problems working with him. No other endorser would be able to do that but him."

Mr. Abangan says "You will expect an even bigger campaign with Daniel, more collaborations, and even more product innovations. We are also announcing our efforts to go GLOBAL. Our first project is to reach UAE/Dubai, the city of gold. Please wait as we reveal more of our plans in the coming months."

Daniel was very excited about this partnership and says "I wasn't much of a coffee drinker in the past but only learned while doing INCOGNITO because we start shooting at 4am in the morning. We live a soldier's life out there and I'm not used to sleeping early and waking up at that time. Tito Ian and the rest of the cast really influenced me to appreciate coffee then. I also drink a lot of water and get so much energy from it. I'm more of a mocha person or prefer the classic Americano."

He adds "Sir Marc and Ms. Nickie was such a breeze to work with. That's what I look for these days, it's the relationships that becomes important for me. The time we've spent together, we've become really good friends rather than me just being an endorser for their products. That's what's important for me these days. They trust me and I'm very thankful for that. I'm happy to be part of this family."

Here's the press conference on video:

Asked how they were able to make the prices low, COO Marc Anthony Abangan explained they only purchase much of their products locally and even do it by bulk which gives them a lot of room to sell their drinks at a really affordable price. Their model is certainly unusual, but so far, they've managed to do it and replicate their practices wherever they put branches. They're still looking for more franchisees, so if you're interested just message their social channels so they could hook you up with DON MACCHIATOS. Daniel is even quite excited because he believes in the business so much that he also has opened branches of his own (lest not divulge where!). He's also excited how he would be able to continue helping them grow, and is optimistic to help local businesses like theirs be even bigger in the coming years. 

 

I'd like to say congratulations and here's to more branches to DON MACCHIATOS, I hope to see more of you in Manila because those that I've tried at the event that afternoon were really nice.

KAI MONTINOLA is the face of HEBESKIN CurvWhyt Coffee

New beauty brand HEBESKIN just launched a new product at Incanta Cave Bar in Quezon City this afternoon. It's a coffee drink made with Mangosteen Extract, Green Coffee Extract, Arabica Coffee, Non Dairy Creamer, Stevia for sweetener, and contains Vitamin C, Probiotics, Alpha Lipoic Acid, L Carnetine, Zinc, Aloe Vera, Ashwagandha and more. Best of all, Total Sugar per serving is 0 grams, something that people like me would love. 

 

Founder and CEO Ms. Penelope Cadlina says "I will do my best to turn my product into results, to something you'll be truly proud. To my family and friends, your support has been my backbone. To my family, you are the heart of everything I do, I promise to push boundaries, and thank you for making this event possible. We are just beginning."

Their COO Jazmine Gonzales added "To be surrounded by people who support us, thank you for believing and you are part of our growth, of who we are today. Your faith in me has meant everything, to my good friend Penelope, your dedication has made this brand truly meaningful. It is about empowering others, to make people be confident about our skin. Thank you so much!"

 

 

 

This is the first time I'm seeing Kai Montinola. I've only known her from PBB and the work she does in Star Magic. She went down the spiral staircase of the venue singing a song that was very apt for her. She's very beautiful, quite eloquent, and have had a happy disposition that afternoon. To say she looked like a goddess is an understatement. This is one of the many reasons why she was chosen as the face of HEBESKIN CurvWhyt Coffee.

Kai says "I feel thankful, thank you for choosing me to represent a product, for HEBESKIN to empower men and women, I feel so great to be the face of the new product. My goddess era is empowering, powerful and confident. "

"For me endorsing a product is a big responsibility, for something that stands for health, I have to implement it in real life and it encourages me to be better."

"Believe it or not, I always ask myself if I am deserving of what I receive, of success and all. You should cherish that, of what people around you say. Know yourself before you say the same with others."

Here's her interview in full:

Kai also sings, we witnessed it that afternoon.

@kumagcow KAI MONTINOLA Sings You'll be in my heart at the launch of CurvWyt Coffee #kaimontinola #kairen #tiktoktainment #tiktoktainmentph #tiktokshowbizreporter ♬ You'll Be in My Heart - NIKI

If you want to try the coffee she endorses, you may get them HERE. Kai is still in her teens, and she's already an endorser of a very promising brand. She's bound for more. With her beautiful skin, brains and undeniable charm, it's going to be a great year for her. Congratulations HEBESKIN and Kai!

Dark Roast Coffeehouse Turns ONE!

Dark Roast Coffeehouse Turns ONE!

I couldn't believe it's been a year already. What started out as a normal conversation between diving friends, was all realized in this Maginhawa spot. Your favorite Dark Roast Coffeehouse is now a year old.

Business wasn't all smooth sailing, they admitted to have had challenges because while trying to improve their products and services, they didn't get a lot of feedback at first. Now they're taking suggestions seriously, and they are super thankful about the improvement and growth they have done during this time.

 

The fun bunch told us about the challenges they had about quality. Because they had different customers telling their preferences, and they also had different baristas at different times of the day, what could be sweet and earthy for one person wouldn't be the same for the other. They were able to standardize a lot of their prep work, their raw materials, considering these all were growth pains and something that businesses like them go through. They initiated telling their team about the standards they wanted to keep, not to say they've already overcame challenges, but knowing it's a continuous process of learning more about it.

Here's our interview with them that evening!

Their location is another one. Maginhawa after all is a food community and has about 5-7 coffee shops with more to open soon. It's not just the competition, but maintaining quality and consistency that every person behind the counter should adhere to. It's a lot of work just to make sure whoever is making the cup would taste the same whatever time of the day, made darker, bolder, better.

The celebration didn't end there as they launched 2 new bread variants particularly the OREO CROISSANT and the BLACK SESAME CROISSANT. They also released a new drink called MIDNIGHT MOCHA. As the name suggests, the breads are more on the sweet side (but not too sweet as Titos/Titas would love). I prefer the BLACK SESAME CROISSANT more since it also has a little nutty flavor with it. These were prepared by the same folks who did BUTTERBOY CROISSANTS who's known for their quality, big, flaky and sinful ones. In fact, it didn't take them long to collaborate with the new flavors because they were very easy to work with. Now you'll get super good croissants here every time.  

 

This month, they're also building a full pledged community. Aside from the good bread and coffee they just launched, they're getting Dark Roast Coffeehouse merch available for loyal customers. With several visits and purchases at their store at the Ground Floor of TKC Square Building, you could get their super cool tumbler and handy dandy eco bag with the Darker, Bolder, Better line on it. 

This is just the first year and they've managed to do a LOT in that short amount of time. I'm super happy for them and wished I could do the same with my set of friends. Folks usually won't suggest that, but seeing their success and milestones so far, I wouldn't be surprised if they're going to be huge soon.

Congratulations DARK ROAST COFFEEHOUSE on your anniversary!