The cafe that turns Filipino street favorite into coffee

Common Man Coffee Roasters opens its second Philippine branch at West Gallery Place in Bonifacio Global City

A cup of coffee can carry more than caffeine. At a new café in Bonifacio Global City, it can bring back the taste of turon, taho, batirol, and samalamig.

Common Man Coffee Roasters is leaning into Filipino flavors as it opens its newest Philippine store at West Gallery Place, BGC, building on a localized coffee program shaped by familiar food memories.

The Singapore-born café brand, which first entered the country through its Ayala Triangle Gardens location in Makati, is opening its second Philippine branch in one of Metro Manila’s busiest business districts.

For Karole Santos, head of marketing at Common Man Coffee Roasters Philippines, the expansion reflects how the brand has been received locally.

“This second store feels like a validation and an acceptance by the market,” Santos said.

The BGC opening also continues a localization effort that began in 2024 with the launch of the Araw-Araw Signature Coffee Blend, created as a Filipino counterpart to the brand’s existing coffee blends.

“We wanted to bring in a little bit of our flavor as a Filipino market to the Common Man Coffee Roasters brand,” she added.

The effort later expanded into the Turon Latte and Taho Latte, which debuted last year and eventually became permanent menu items after gaining a following. Santos said the drinks were created to pair the Araw-Araw blend with flavors that many Filipinos immediately recognize.

The latest additions are the limited-time Batirol Espresso and Samalamig Latte, released under the Homegrown Classics collection.

Created by in-house barista Jay Salvacion, the Batirol Espresso draws from the traditional tablea drink, combining chocolate, espresso, and toasted marshmallow.

The coffee shop’s baristas Jay Salvacion (left) and Andy Manuel present their creations Batirol Espresso and Samalamig Latte, respectively 

The Samalamig Latte, developed by in-house barista and two-time Barista Challenge winner Andy Manuel, combines muscovado banana syrup, espresso, milk, and green gulaman, inspired by the familiar street-side refreshment.

Batirol Espresso and Samalamig Latte are the newest additions to the café’s Homegrown Classics collection 

Unlike the Turon Latte and Taho Latte, the two new drinks will be available for only about three months at the Makati and BGC branches while the company gauges customer response.

“If we see an opportunity where these are well-loved, and people keep looking for them, then there is the intention to make them permanent,” Santos said.

Santos said Common Man plans to continue exploring Filipino-inspired beverages as customers increasingly seek drinks that offer something beyond the usual café experience. One example is the Batirol Espresso, where guests pour the espresso into the drink themselves.

The BGC branch also hosts the brand’s community events. Following an earlier coffee rave in Makati, Common Man recently held another in BGC and hopes to organize similar gatherings quarterly.

Santos said Common Man wants its cafés to serve as places where people can gather, meet others, and have conversations that often happen online.

“We want to be there for the gathering of these communities,” she said. — Angelica Villanueva