From TikTok feed to SM City Davao, the coffee Davaoeños lined up for is finally here.
ZUS Coffee, the viral tech-driven coffee chain from Malaysia, opened its first Mindanao branch at SM City Davao on September 2, 2026, marking its 11th branch outside Cebu.
Julie Ann Bogador, ZUS outlet supervisor, said Davao was chosen as the Mindanao gateway for a simple reason: Davaoeños love coffee.
“Davao City, because alam naman po natin na more people dito sa Davao na mahilig po talaga sa coffee. Target market din po ni ZUS si Davao (In Davao City, as we all know, many people here really love coffee. Davao is also a target market for ZUS),” Bogador said.
The brand started in Malaysia in 2019 and entered the Philippines in Eastwood, Manila in 2023. Its mission, Bogador said, is to be tech-driven while remaining affordable and pang-masa.
“Pinaka-goal talaga ni ZUS is tech-driven. The very mission is to offer good quality kahit na affordable lang po talaga siya (ZUS’ primary goal is to be tech-driven. Its very mission is to offer good quality even though it’s really affordable),” she added.
WORTH THE HYPE?
If the opening day is any indication, yes. The SM City Davao branch served 800 cups on its first day alone.
“We actually didn’t expect here in Davao na dadagsain siya ng mga tao. Ibang-iba dito compared sa Manila kasi dito, matiyaga silang pumipila. Every day talaga siya hindi nawawalan ng pila (We actually didn’t expect in Davao that people would flock here. It’s very different here compared to Manila because here, people patiently line up. Every day, the queue never disappears),” Bogador said.
Customers Trisha Española, Sarah, and Angeline, who first heard of ZUS in Manila, said they immediately visited the Davao branch when it opened.
“Actually, we heard about ZUS when we went to Manila. And we’re happy that it’s already here in Davao. It’s also very affordable,” Angeline said.
“I’ve heard of ZUS Coffee on social media. I really thought ZUS was expensive, but when we tried it, we were surprised that it’s cheaper, especially because it is inside SM City Davao,” Española added.
Beans that fit every Davaoeño
Beyond the hype, ZUS says its edge is its Arabica-based bean profile, shaped by customer feedback.
“What makes ZUS’ different from other coffee chains is the profile of our coffee. We also based it on customers’ feedback that our Arabica coffee tastes different,” Bogador explained.
At SM City Davao, customers can choose between two signature roasts:
- Boss: a medium dark roast that is low in caffeine and acidity but strong in taste, best for sweet iced drinks.
- Lydia: a light roast perfect for iced Americano and latte for those who prefer a smoother cup.
Best-sellers so far in Davao are the Iced Spanish and Seasalt Spanish Latte, both available with either bean option, a “come and go” concept that lets busy Davaoeños grab quality coffee without the wait.
They also have non-coffee, matcha, chocolate, frappe, refresher, and crème in their menu options that everyone can enjoy.
More branches coming to Mindanao
ZUS Coffee Davao is just the start. The company targets to open 50 more stores nationwide, with new Mindanao outlets eyed until next year.
“Yes, our general manager has already identified spots wherein we could put up ZUS Coffee. We target to open 50 stores. In Cebu, we do have 10 opened stores; the 11th is here in Davao City, So, GenSan is probably next next, then in Lanang, Tagum, Digos, Marbel, among others,” Bogador added.
Davaoeños can download the ZUS Coffee App on Google Play or the App Store to order from the ZUS Coffee branch at SM City Davao and claim their first-time buyer promos.
ZUS Coffee Davao is located on the Ground Floor, Expansion Wing, SM City Davao, Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland, Davao City.
