For years, Gio Visitacion has helped Filipinos experience coffee, steadily building Cebu’s Good Cup into one of the most respected names in the industry. Now, he’s finally bringing that vision to Manila. But for him, this isn’t just expansion—it’s coming home to a community that’s been there all along.
Despite being a Philippine Barista Champion who has competed on the global stage, Visitacion doesn’t feel that he’s too big for the coffee business grind, deeply involving himself in every layer of Good Cup, from sourcing and roasting to farmer relations, and what he calls ‘coffee science.’
It’s this hands-on approach that has defined their growth in Cebu, and it’s what’s currently shaping their decision to open in Makati.
Good Cup Has Been Brewing a Community in Manila for Years
But even before the idea of this upcoming physical space came to be, Good Cup’s presence in Manila had already been well-established inside the kitchens and dining rooms of home brewers.
“For the past seven years, we’ve been serving a lot of home brewers in Manila,” he shared, noting that at one point about 80 to 90 percent of their home brewing customers were based in the capital.
But more than just sheer volume, this built trust and fostered loyalty to the extent that Visitacion is confident that he knows almost all of his customers by name. That relationship then reframes their much-awaited expansion—because they’re not just entering a new market hundred of kilometers away. For Visitacion and his team, this is an opportunity to build a home for the very same community that had already welcomed Good Cup into theirs.
A long pour to Manila
That “home” is now taking shape along Pasong Tamo in Makati, a location Visitacion says took time to find.
“It had to express how we want to operate, and that space checked all the boxes for us to get closer to our community,” he proudly shared.
Makati’s energy also reflects a broader shift in Manila’s coffee culture—one that’s just as diverse as it is curious. So for Visitacion, this is both an opportunity and responsibility to make specialty coffee more accessible without diluting its depth. Despite this, however, he was quick to remind us that Good Cup’s Manila outpost isn’t designed to compete in a crowded cafe scene.
“We don’t want to eat a portion of the pie—we want to grow it,” he exclaimed.
Having worked across different segments of the coffee market, Visitacion understands that long-term growth comes from more than just serving good coffee. It also means helping customers appreciate what goes into every cup. As he puts it, “The brands that educate their customers are the ones that sustain the industry”—a philosophy that carries throughout the Pasong Tamo space.
The front will be a fast bar for quick, high-quality drinks, while the back will lean more immersive with an omakase-style experience for those in the mood to try something different. To round things out, the space will also double as a coffee academy that will serve as a platform for engaging in conversations about coffee production, brewing, and everything in between.
We got to try the omakase ourselves, and it was eye-opening to see coffee take on so many forms. Using Acu Gesha as its featured coffee, the experience included everything from a fruity, tea-inspired drink and an espresso-based creation with jasmine and coconut milk to a dessert-like course featuring cascara, chocolate soil, and pour-over coffee. Other preparations highlighted the distinct flavors of naturally, honey, and washed-processed beans, while the final course brought together hojicha, vanilla, berries, and toasted granola for a delicious scoop of coffee-forward ice cream.
The experience also went beyond the beans themselves. Cascara, the fruit surrounding the coffee bean, was incorporated into the menu, while the usually discarded husks were coated in resin and turned into coasters and even small tables—highlighting how much potential there is in coffee.
But no matter what part of the space you gravitate towards, every drink is designed to spark the same kind of curiosity for a bold experience that invites both casual drinkers and enthusiasts to engage at their own pace.
The brewprint
Beyond the product, Visitacion also sees hospitality as the industry’s biggest opportunity. “If you compare coffee shops to restaurants, hospitality is generally better in restaurants,” he noted.
At Good Cup, closing that gap means focusing on the finer details: welcoming service, thoughtful touches, and a team trained not just to serve, but to connect. It’s a philosophy that builds on their community-first approach by closely tracking customer feedback and prioritizing long-term relationships, even at the expense of short-term margins. The payoff, although not immediate, is a loyal customer base, and a coffee culture that actually puts people first. And that doesn’t just mean customers—it also includes the farmers and producers too.
Ever since the inception of Good Cup, Visitacion has always chosen to work with Filipino coffee farmers all the way from Bukidnon to Benguet and Sagada. “We go there, understand their challenges, and ask—how can we help?” he said.
That can mean improving processing methods, introducing new products like cascara, or simply building trust over time, but the goal remains the same: to elevate both coffee quality and farmers’ livelihoods while creating a more sustainable ecosystem from farm to cup.
One cup ahead
For Visitacion, success in Manila isn’t defined by scale, but by impact.
“Our goal is to move the needle on what coffee can be. We want people to feel proud that there’s a local brand willing to execute at this level.” he explained.
From Cebu to Pasong Tamo, Good Cup’s next chapter is less about geography and more about intention, building spaces that connect people, elevating experiences, and pushing Filipino coffee forward.
Because for them, a good cup is never just about what’s in it—it’s about what it creates.
Good Cup’s Makati branch along Pasong Tamo is set to officially open in December. Follow their official Instagram for updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good Cup is a Cebu-based coffee brand known for its work in specialty coffee, including sourcing, roasting, coffee education, and relationships with local farmers. Founded around a community-first approach, the brand aims to make quality coffee more accessible while helping customers understand the craft behind every cup.
Gio Visitacion is a Philippine Barista Champion and the driving force behind Good Cup. Beyond competing on the global stage, he remains closely involved in the business, overseeing different aspects of its operations, from coffee sourcing and roasting to farmer relations and coffee science.
Yes. Good Cup is bringing its Cebu-based coffee brand to Makati, with a new location along Pasong Tamo. The branch is set to officially open in December, with updates available through the brand’s official Instagram account.
Good Cup’s Makati space will have a front-facing fast bar for quick, high-quality coffee drinks and a more immersive area at the back for an omakase-style coffee experience. It will also serve as a coffee academy and a venue for conversations about coffee production, brewing, and related topics.
Good Cup’s Makati branch along Pasong Tamo is set to officially open in December. Follow Good Cup’s official Instagram account for announcements and opening updates.
