Tully's Coffee Now Brewing in Manila

Tully's Coffee Now Brewing in Manila
by Nicole



A new brew has come to Manila and the Manila Foodistas was invited to be one of the firsts to taste it!

November 3, 2011 was Tully's Coffee launch here in the Philippines. The fun kick-off happened in their first store in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Tully's Coffee 

Established in 1992 by Mr. Tom O'Keefe nicknamed "Tully" (hence the name of his coffee shop :D), Tully's Coffee is a specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington. They've got more than a hundred stores all over the U.S and have also branched out here in Asia, where currently the market is :D - in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and now, here in nuestra patria adorada, the Philippines!

It was my first time to attend a coffee shop launching and I didn't really mind that I was alone. Muwahaha! You see, I was thinking that if I go there alone, that would be the best way to find out if the people are going to be welcoming and friendly and boy, I was not disappointed because INDEED THEY WERE!

Tully's Coffee in Taguig is VERY easy to find (I swear you gotta consult an eye doctor if you don't see it) - it is located in between St. Lukes and the Deutschbank building. When I got to the place, I first registered at their booth and then was given a paper bag with stuff in it. I wanted to check the place out as soon as I got there so I didn't open the bag until I got home :)). I was ushered to the media room and for the first time, I felt like a journalist ha ha! A very lovely lady told me she's going to get me a drink so I just waited at the room. While waiting, I was looking around and saw this on the wall:

Our Promise: Your experience should be perfect. If it isn't, please let us know and we will make it right. 

 Thumbs up on their promise!

Tully's Iced Tea

My first drink came and it was an iced tea. I was expecting a cup of coffee but it didn't matter really. I was thirsty and was really pleased that they gave an iced tea first. Man, I liked their iced tea! I asked the baristas how they made it and was told that it's their special blend. Their iced tea is composed of black tea, honey and lemon.

Inside the media room came Mr. Daniel Francisco, the General Manager of Tully's Philippines. He then talked to some media people and when I saw that, I grabbed my pen and paper, approached their circle and also started asking questions :D. Mr. Francisco talked about expanding Tully's here and I'm just glad to know they're putting up one in Ortigas soon! Then also in Makati, Quezon City, Manila and Alabang. When asked what separates Tully's from other coffee shops, Mr. Francisco emphasized on the people in Tully's - its friendliest staff. After the conversation, off I went out the media room and explored the coffee shop!

It sure is a packed house!

I'm not a coffee drinker to be honest but since I was already at a coffee shop and it's a new one, I told myself that I should try and so I did. I approached the counter and to be frank, I was clueless on what to order so I just asked the staff. Okay a major pause there: the staff were indeed soooo friendly and very helpful too! I don't know if it's because it's their launching day so they're compelled to be super friendly but you know, you can always tell a fake smile from a real one as well as if you're having a fake conversation when talking to someone, right? Tully's staff are all nice and friendly - I like them!

Now to help me with my drink, they told me that I should try their Bellaccino - they've got the espresso, and mocha. I like strong flavors so I chose the Bellaccino espresso. The whipped cream on top has vanilla so it did not taste bland. The espresso blend is something special for me because it did not taste like shockingly bitter espresso. Tully's Bellaccino espresso is not a bitter tasting drink, at least for my taste buds. And as for the milk, they use low-fat and--oh just in case you're calorie-conscious--they use regular whipped cream (low-fat soon please :) ).

Tully's Bellaccino Espresso

As I was sipping my Bellaccino Espresso, I tried listening to people talk about their opinions on Tully's Coffee. One thing that stood out from all that I've heard was a comment from one lady. When asked how the coffee she's drinking is, she commented that it was just okay and it tasted the same as any other coffee. She went, "Pare-pareho lang naman 'yan sila, nagkaka-talo lang sa ambiance."

I pondered on what she said and first I thought, if it doesn't taste somehow like others, then it's no longer coffee that you're drinking. They're all serving coffee hence you get and taste coffee so somehow they're all the same because you've got a common denominator which is coffee (okay, scratch that if it doesn't make any sense). Now second, I agree with the ambiance factor. We can always make our own coffee at home but why still go and spend time at coffee shops? Human beings have this nature of wanting to be bosses - we all want to be served, treated well, so we go out and find a place that does what we're looking for.  I primarily go to coffee shops when I want to be somewhere quiet where I can read, do my homework while have something unique to drink (I remember seeing a pumpkin drink on Tully's US website. It would be cool if Tully's PH would serve it too :D)

So now to wrap it all up, Tully's Coffee launch in Bonifacio Global City was fun and I was glad that I went there - thanks to all the very friendly people I met. Thank you Tully's for inviting Manila Foodistas! I will be back most definitely! (I want to see how Tully's is like on a normal day :D)

 

P.S. Their pastry is provided by a local bakeshop and if I remember it right, they'll be serving sugarless treats soon! YEHEY!


Address and Phone Number
Tully's Coffee Philippines
Bonifacio Global City, The Fort, 
1630 Taguig, Philippines
(02) 661 77 23