Celebrities named SBC’s 10 Best Customers

What do celebrities like premiere model-turned-hunk actor Akihiro Sato, beauty empire heiress Cristalle Belo, model and Animax VJ Stephanie Henares, celebrity daughter and stylist to the stars Alyanna Martinez, director Paul Soriano and International Publicist Joyce Ramirez have in common? Their favorite cup of coffee, it turns out.

For the past decade or so, Manila has joined the world under the spell of the coffee craze. As coffee shops and bars opened in almost every corner, a coveted lifestyle was born, fueled by the search for the perfect cup of coffee along with the need to retreat to a place where one can relax with the beverage in hand. And while Pinoys love their coffee, so do they love celebrities. Celebrity-spotting is as big a national pastime as coffee drinking, as seen in our almost relentless devouring of the goings-on in their lives.

But as the mix of coffee and celebrities go, Seattle’s Best Coffee (SBC) goes beyond the cult of coffee cool to celebrate 10 good years of the renowned American franchise literally describes as “the best coffee in Seattle.”

But more than the serving up the best, full-flavored, smooth roasted coffee as well as an expanded line of blends to local coffee aficionados for the past glorious coffee decade, SBC’s local pioneering efforts include: offering WIFI in all its coffee shops nationwide, launching a VIP Club Card program, and being the first to launch freshly-cooked meals as well as integrating kitchen and chefs on its team. This year, SBC unveils another first—a campaign that celebrates SBC’s 10 Best Customers. Among them are:

Akihiro Sato, may love his coffee, but stargazers love him for his good looks and charisma. But like a cup of brew that never fails to satisfy, this Sao Paolo, Brazil-raised model/actor has the talent and right attitude that continues to draw audiences to him. 

International PR Joyce Ramirez, on the other hand, is the only Hollywood-trained entertainment publicist in the country and is the moving force behind the promotion for some of the world’s most popular TV series and stars. A loyal customer of Seattle’s Best Coffee, she is regularly seen holding her client meetings at her favorite Rockwell or Greenbelt branch.

In the same breath, the 22-year-old daughter of star-maker Ronnie Henares and GMA executive Ida Henares, model/VJ Stephanie Henares has recently been named a brand ambassador to Animax, Asia’s first and leading anime and youth entertainment channel. As with the broad appeal of coffee and its various blends, Stephanie possesses the far-reaching appeal of youth and vibrant character to be named one of the ‘Ani-Mates’ on her way to becoming one of the few prominent faces on TV across Asia, as well as online.

Meanwhile, Cristalle Belo Henares is a pure blend of style and smarts. Already a successful entrepreneur, Dr. Vicky Belo’s youngest daughter may be a magnet to celebrity-watchers but there’s more brewing under that lovely exterior. The 26-year-old is a business management degree holder from the Ateneo de Manila University who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in University of Western Australia. And this young powerhouse is already the Managing Director of Belo Essentials, the countries fastest growing whitening beauty product line sold in 5,000 retail stores nationwide, and distributed in the United States, the Middle East and Japan.

On the other end of the celebrity spectrum is Alyanna Martinez, the eldest daughter of Albert and Liezl Martinez, the granddaughter of the great Amalia Fuentes and niece to erstwhile matinee idol Aga Muhlach. Adding more flavor to her already famous showbiz pedigree, Alyanna is an independent and hard working fashionista who prefers to work purely "behind the scenes and styling top celebrities instead.” She is considered one of the fashion industry’s popular style consultants working with top actresses Ruffa Gutierrez and Bea Alonzo. Also carving his own niche behind the scenes and concocting his own blend of creative output is Paul Soriano, the grandson of classic movie icon, Nestor De Villa, and the eldest son of renowned television commercial director, Jeric Soriano. Citing directing as his calling, Paul is known as a commercial director for numerous big-name brands from telecoms and products, consumer goods and beverage and many others. He has helmed music videos for Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez and Billy Crawford, to name a few; and has had his short films exhibited in various festivals abroad.

Joining these young and vibrant new generation of celebrities to complete the elite 10 are illustrious names in the arts and business. These are: businessman and premiere coffee connoisseur Manny Torrejon; Team Manila’s extraordinary design and retail duo Raymond Punzalan and Jowee Alviar; author, publisher and leadership consultant Francis J. Kong; and metalscape and non-traditional contemporary artist Ivan Acuña.