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Manila · Philippines

Yardstick Coffee

Since 2013 · Andre Chanco, Kevin Tang, Jessica Lee

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Overview

Yardstick opened in 2013 in Legazpi Village, Makati, founded by university friends Andre Chanco, Kevin Tang, and Jessica Lee. Chanco had spent 13 years in Singapore — including an apprenticeship at pioneering specialty roastery Papa Palheta — and chose Manila over the saturated Singapore market because the Philippines presented an opportunity to define what specialty coffee could be in Southeast Asia. The brand started as a B2B roaster and the official Philippines distributor of La Marzocco and Rocket Espresso; after the pandemic it pivoted to retail and now operates 10+ cafes across Metro Manila, ranked #34 on the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list.

Known for

  • Pioneering specialty coffee operation in the Philippines
  • Andre Chanco trained at Papa Palheta in Singapore before founding Yardstick
  • Official Philippines distributor for La Marzocco and Rocket Espresso
  • Hosts the Philippine AeroPress Championship since 2014
  • Ranked #34 on World's 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026
  • Diedrich IR-5 and Probat P12 production roasters

Why it matters

Yardstick set the actual yardstick — the name is literal — for what specialty coffee could be in the Philippines, in a market where the founders were repeatedly mistaken for a furniture shop in their first weeks open. They proved a producing country could host international-grade specialty without compromising on quality or local producer relationships.

Production

head roaster
Andre Chanco
roaster machine
Diedrich IR-5 and Probat P12
roastery location
Legazpi Village, Makati
espresso equipment
La Marzocco Strada MP

Café

10+ locations including Legazpi Village, BGC, SM Aura, Rockwell

Recognitions

  • World's 100 Best Coffee Shops #34 (2026)
  • Host of the Philippine AeroPress Championship since 2014
  • Official Philippines distributor: La Marzocco, Rocket Espresso

Sources

More roasters