When Ryan Llamoso, a former proptech founder, pivoted into coffee, he didn’t have a background in F&B, a high-powered espresso machine, or even startup capital. What he did have: an eye for inefficiencies, a love for coffee culture, and a spreadsheet.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how food brands create a sense of place,” he told Financial Adviser PH. “Coffee shops in particular — they’re not just about the product. They’re about energy and experience.”
Today, TOMO Coffee is one of the fastest-growing neighborhood café chains in the Philippines. With over 40 branches and counting, TOMO has gone from a side hustle built on Canva and Google Sheets to a serious challenger in the competitive F&B space. And Llamoso did it without a blueprint, leaning on lean startup principles and relentless customer focus.
From Exit to Espresso
Before TOMO, Llamoso built and exited companies in the tech sector. But after wrapping up a proptech venture, he wanted to build something more human-scale—something that touched people’s lives every day. He noticed a persistent gap in the market: coffee was either overpriced and aspirational or cheap and forgettable. There was little middle ground.
“We wanted to create an affordable, reliable coffee experience,” he said. “Good coffee for your daily life—not just for Instagram.”
With co-founder Joy, TOMO launched out of a small alley beside her house, delivering cups door-to-door and brewing with a Moka Pot. That scrappy, personal approach set the tone for how TOMO would grow: with care, experimentation, and customer obsession.
No Barista Background? No Problem
Neither Ryan nor Joy came from the café world. “We weren’t baristas. We weren’t franchise veterans,” he admitted. “But we knew how we wanted people to feel when they walked into a TOMO store. We knew the vibe, the price point, and the pain points in the customer experience.”
They relied on tools anyone could access: Google Sheets for operations and inventory, Canva for posters and promos, and Messenger for customer engagement. There was no fancy POS system in the early days—just a hunger to understand what customers wanted and to iterate fast.
“We made mistakes. A lot. But we learned fast and adjusted faster,” Ryan said.
Viral Growth and TikTok Momentum
Real traction came after they opened their fifth store. Customers started organically sharing TOMO on TikTok—drawn to its minimalist Japanese-inspired aesthetic, affordable drinks, and neighborhood vibe.
That virality wasn’t planned, but it wasn’t accidental either. “We designed TOMO to be easy to share,” Ryan noted. “Visually simple, friendly language, strong brand voice.”
Lessons in Scaling from 1 to 40+ Stores
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Obsess Over Systems Early
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While it’s tempting to focus on the next store opening, Ryan emphasizes building a system that makes every store run like the first. “We didn’t wait until we had 10 stores to put structure in place,” he said. “We started building SOPs from store #2.”
These systems include:
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- Standardized drink-making processes
- Inventory tracking through Google Sheets
- Checklists for store openings and closings
- Team onboarding documentation
“We didn’t have capital for big tech, so we created frameworks using the tools we knew.”
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Build in Public, Learn from the Ground
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Ryan credits much of TOMO’s growth to real-time customer feedback and front-line learning. “The best data is on the floor,” he said. “You learn so much just by watching how people order, how they react, what they post online.”
This feedback loop allowed TOMO to quickly adapt store layouts, pricing bundles, product lines (like matcha and cold brew), and even how they trained staff.
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Don’t Rush the Team—Build the Culture
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“The hardest part? People,” Ryan admitted. “You can’t scale culture overnight.”
As TOMO grew, so did its need for people who understood and embodied the brand’s values. Hiring wasn’t just about filling shifts—it was about investing in a team that could sustain the customer-first mindset.
Ryan and Joy spent time training early employees themselves. They hired slowly and focused on cultural fit over pure skill. “You can teach someone to make coffee. You can’t teach malasakit (care) as easily.”
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Know Your Unit Economics—Every Day
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Unlike some startups that scale based on vibes and funding rounds, TOMO tracked its store-level economics from Day One. “You have to know your numbers,” Ryan emphasized. “Which drinks have the best margins? What time of day are your sales peaking? What’s your average order value per store?”
Using basic dashboards and Google Sheets, Ryan and his team monitored everything—from raw material costs to labor ratios. That financial discipline helped them avoid overexpansion and make smarter decisions.
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Let the Customer Build the Brand
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From TikTok reviews to word-of-mouth shoutouts, TOMO’s growth has largely been customer-driven. Ryan believes a brand is no longer what you say—it’s what your customers share.
“That’s why we focused so much on product consistency and brand tone,” he said. “Because when someone posts about you, it has to feel like TOMO.”
Not Just a Side Hustle Anymore
Today, TOMO has over 40 locations and continues to grow. Ryan works 60 to 70 hours a week—but says it’s the most meaningful work he’s done.
“This is way harder than my old job,” he said with a laugh. “But it’s more fulfilling. Every store we open, every team we build—it’s tangible. You can feel the impact.”
He credits much of his entrepreneurial stamina to starting small and learning fast. “Start with what you have. Build, test, listen, and improve,” he advised. “Don’t wait for the perfect model. You’ll figure it out along the way.”
Final Takeaway
Ryan Llamoso’s story proves that big dreams don’t need big budgets—just clear purpose, customer obsession, and the courage to learn fast. TOMO Coffee is no longer a scrappy side hustle. It’s a case study in what’s possible when systems meet soul.
As he told Financial Adviser PH, “Tools will change. The platforms will evolve. But if you know your why and you’re willing to do the work, you’ll build something real.
