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'Coffee and Friends Hangout' turns SM Supermalls into café hubs

Lifestyle | Food

'Coffee and Friends Hangout' turns SM Supermalls into café hubs

Specialty brews, lounge spaces, and pop-up events fuel connections during Coffee Fest 2025

By MBrand

Coffee culture took center stage this month at SM Supermalls as the nationwide retail chain launched “Coffee and Friends Hangout,” a two-week celebration of brews, community, and shared moments.

Running from July 15 to 31, the event transformed common areas in malls across the country into pop-up cafés, lounge spaces, and event hubs—reflecting the growing significance of coffee in Filipino social life. With the Philippines ranking as Asia’s second-largest coffee consumer, and locals averaging 2.5 cups a day, the timing of the festival aligned with a broader cultural shift that sees coffee as more than just a drink.

Art classes

SM City Baguio's Sky Garden

SM City Baguio's Sky Garden

Pickup Coffee

Participating cafés included ZUS Coffee, Sunnies Coffee, Pickupo Coffee, and Starbucks, among others. Shoppers could explore specialty brews, sample new offerings, and enjoy curated pairings in indoor lounges or open-air spaces such as SM Seaside City Cebu’s Sky Park and SM City Baguio’s Sky Garden.

Beyond beverages, the event featured art workshops, cup sleeve gatherings, live acoustic performances, and DJ sets designed to bring people together. These activities were held at designated areas inside the malls, turning casual coffee breaks into shared experiences.

Sunnies Coffee

SM Seaside City Cebu Sky Park

SM Seaside City Cebu Sky Park

Starbucks

Zus Coffee

SM’s Coffee and Friends Hangout was part of the mall chain’s broader effort to blend retail with social engagement, encouraging visitors to see the mall as a space for connection as much as consumption.

For updates and future events, visitors can check www.smsupermalls.com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

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