At 30, Daniel Padilla Finds More Purpose

This proudly Cebuano brand placed their full trust in Daniel Padilla at a time when others may have hesitated.

- By Nathalie Tomada

It was shortly after his highly publicized breakup when coffee franchise chain Don Macchiatos tapped the "Incognito" star as their first celebrity endorser. The move proved to be a game-changer, with the brand now having nearly a thousand branches nationwide, according to its owners.

"Daniel Padilla na kasi iyan (He's already Daniel Padilla), whether there's an issue or not. Mas tumaas pa yung sales (sales increased when we got him)," said CEO Bethel Jae San Juan in an interview with The STAR on the sidelines of the recent contract renewal between Daniel and Don Macchiatos.

Since bringing Daniel onboard, the brand also saw a rise in franchise interest. "That's when we knew we chose the right person," Bethel added.

"Before Daniel came in, we had around 600 branches. When Daniel joined, that number grew. Now, we have almost a thousand branches. At that time, we were only in Visayas and Mindanao. After that, we started thinking about how to reach more of the Luzon market, and that's when we thought of getting Daniel Padilla," added COO Marc Anthony Abangan.

General manager Ariel Alegado joined them at the press conference.

The STAR learned that the couple behind Don Macchiatos experienced failed business attempts before finding success. They pioneered the P39 coffee price point, which has since been copied by others.

According to Marc Anthony, their initial investment was around P20,000 to P30,000 since they started with a small cart only. He believes that they attracted customers because of their unique pricing and that could be one reason they eventually reached close to 1,000 branches. He further said that they aimed for the lowest possible price while still making sure they wouldn't be losing profit.

"We're able to sell it for a low price because we acquire our raw materials wholesale. Nakukuha natin ng mura kaya binibigay natin sa market, mura rin and still quality coffee," he added.