A signage which says “Starbucks Coffee Served Here” right outside a popular restaurant in Tagbilaran City has caught the eye of coffee lovers and regular passersby alike. But is it true? Is Starbucks really in Bohol?

Yes and no.

According to IDEA (International Deaf Education Association) president Marilou Brake, its partner, Garden Café, has a Keurig machine which they use to prepare and serve Starbucks K-Cups.

“Legit na siya na Starbucks, wala mi naggama ana, wala na namo gi-tamper,” she said.

Brake clarified that their group is a retailer of Starbucks products, not a franchisee of the world’s largest coffee chain.

“Ang among gibaligya is ang product na made by Starbucks…Gi palit ra gud na namo, so amo ra pud gibaligya. Wala na namo alisdi, kana siya Starbucks for the Keurig machine na naay mo-handle og K-Cup,” she added.

Garden Café has been selling Starbucks K-Cups for two years now but only recently put up the Starbucks signage to boost sales. The marketing strategy seemed to have worked as the public has started to notice the iconic brand logo outside the restaurant.

Brake said that there are several other K-Cup brands but they opted to only sell those from Starbucks due to its popularity.

Keurig is a beverage brewing system for home and commercial use. It is manufactured by the American company Keurig Dr Pepper.

The company in 1998 launched its first K-Cup pods.

Last year, Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap aroused the public’s curiosity by posting on his Facebook page a photo of a letter addressed to him and printed on paper with a Starbucks letterhead.

This led hundreds of Yap’s Facebook followers to speculate through the post’s comment section that the world-famous coffee chain will soon reach the province’s shores.

While Yap left much for the public’s imagination with a vague and short explanation of his post, an official from his office confirmed that Starbucks has expressed intent to build its first store in the city.

So far, however, Starbucks and the city government have not issued any update on the coffee chain’s reported expansion into the province. (AD)