I am so thankfully that Family Mart finally opened a branch so close to my office. For the first…read moretwo weeks that they were open, I had nothing but Family Mart food. As a convenience store, they honestly don't have a lot to offer (unlike your local 7-11 or MiniStop) but they have, by far, the best food selection. Everyday, I discover something new when I stop by this particular branch. In the first week, I was addicted to their Twirl-all-you can ice cream. Pistachio soft serve ice cream. Wow. Just wow. Then I started going through their food options. For 3 days straight I had nothing but tonkatsu maki. It's so packed with rice and was really good. Then I started focusing on their wraps. The chicken karaage wrap which had wasabi mayo was very filling for less than P100. They also have different ramens -- I like the karubi ramen. Lately, they introduced the Fresh N' Lite line for those counting their calories. So exciting to have healthy food at an affordable price and so conveniently close to where I work. This branch has a second floor dedicated to just the dining area. So if you're looking for a quick place to eat, this is the best choice. Last but not the least, I love how the people here are so nice and friendly. Coming in early in the morning and being greeted with: "Welcome to the Family!" really brings a smile to my face every time.

One of the newest convenience store brands that entered the market is Alfamart, which is located at…read morethe ground floor of SM Mall of Asia, on Sunset Avenue side directly facing One E-Com Center. This new store is a joint venture of SM Investment Group and Alfamart, a big industry player from Indonesia. The main difference that Alfamart has with other convenience stores in Manila is its bigger store space. The area in-between aisles are perceptibly wider. The store also has more products. This is the only establishment of its kind where there's a section for health and wellness. In fact, I saw several over-the-counter drugs that are not readily available in other popular convenience stores. I also noticed that there's an LBC kiosk right inside the store, great for sending mails and parcels. Lastly, I was amazed at the prices and variety of the to-go meals that they offer. I jokingly asked the cashier what makes Alfamart different from its more popular counterparts and she said, without batting an eyelash, that their products are cheaper.

To the management…read more Have you visited your store in MOA? I work in the same building were your store is located and is frequent shopper ( no other option since 711 is a block away ), the personnel who works in your store doesn't even know how to smile, it seems like they hate having customer falling in line to buy something. Most of the time you will see a long line of customer in front of just 1 active counter and the rest of the crew seems not bothered by it and just continue to chat with each other. You basically need to call their attention and ask if maybe someone can take the counter and address the needs of the customers waiting in line. You will literally see customers walking out of the store empty handed since the line is too long and there is only 1 counter person. Another epic fail is come 12mn when you try and buy a pack of cigarette they will say that they cant sell you any since they are doing their inventory, I get it, they need to do an inventory but does it take 6 hrs to do a cigarette inventory????why 6 hrs? we tried buying again around 6am and guess what? they are still doing the inventory! does it really take that long to count packs/rims of cigarettes?seriously? That area of your store is within the radius of call centers and most agents do smoke and 6 hours of not selling cigarettes is " suicide" for your sales. If you guys want to check the epic fails of your crew on that store try sending a mystery shopper and you will find out how poor customer service is. P.S. Tell your people to properly dispose the trash on your trash bins, you will see tons of garbage on your entrance door.

At the risk of sounding whiny, I'd like to share my lamentation about the state of convenience…read morestores in the country. Japan really ruins a lot of things for you, and after being exposed to their convenience stores some 12 years ago, I have come to call our version - inconvenience stores, because they contained practically nothing. Fast forward to ten years later, and I could not be happier about the changes in the convenience stores category. The entry of Family Mart and Circle K have helped shake up the competition, and we are seeing greatly improved store operations with better offerings for us consumers. Circle K is one or the newest entrants in the category. A US brand, the chain is being operated by the same group as Zuellig. The inside is roomy and very premium. The food offerings like the hotdog and sausages are imported yet reasonably priced. The ice cream is a favorite! I like the stand-up tables that let customers have a quick meal - encourages fast turn around of consumers and yet allowing them a convenient place to have a meal. This is a good convenience store concept.

Convenience stores, like coffee shops, are sprouting like crazy in Bonifacio Global City. I think…read morethis is a sign that the market here is booming as more and more people decide to work and live in the area. Among the first ones to get a whiff of the booming trend was Circle K, an international brand of convenience stores that was one of the pioneer establishments of its kind in BGC. It is situated in front of a park and near the busy Bonifacio High Street, so it's often filled with customers buying water, energy drinks, and snacks. Compared to the big convenience stores that we are familiar with, Circle K's layout is a bit different. I noticed that it's focus is more on giving customers more choices and options for freshly prepared meals and quick bites than selling items off the shelves. The layout of the store is proof to this. The portion dedicated to meals prepared on the spot is a lot bigger than the area alllowed for display racks of junk foods and ready-to-eat items. If you are looking for office supplies, cleaning materials or even personal hygiene products, this is not the place to go. But if you want affordable and delicious siomai, good cup of coffee or pocket-friendly combo rice meals, then this is the right convenience store for you.

Philippines Review #13…read more I've come here couple times because it's directly across from where I am staying. Once because it was raining so hard, the other time because I didn't want to walk the three block to McDonalds, LOL. This is your basic convenient store with normal convenient store items. Candy, chips and other snacks, beverages of all types and even some quick, ready to eat food items. On the plus side, the quick food items are very inexpensive, from P39 ($0.80) and up. At that price point however you cannot expect incredible flavor or quality. One thing I discovered last night, is they sell hot cooked rice for 10 pesos per scoop. This came in very handy when we made pork adobo last night and needed rice to go with it. OVERALL: A local, basic convenient store located directly across the street, really comes in handy when you're in a pinch and need something quick.

My go to store cause it's close to my AirBnb. If I have the cravings for the hotdogs and meat buns…read moreand cheap but ok coffee and snacks those is where I go. I also load up my Grab app here. The staff are friendly and nice, they all know me already.

Family Mart is my favorite place to buy take-out coffee on Taft. When I found out that Family mart…read morehad UCC Coffee for just P85, my mind just exploded. Of course, I decided to try out the Cafe Mocha, as per usual. Not only does it taste like, amazing, but it's made like real coffee is supposed to be made! Dripped slowly and put together layer by layer! For coffee that you can buy from a convenience store, I don't think it can possibly get any better than this. Then there's the actual store. First up: P35 for a Hotdog Sandwich and a softdrink. WOW. I have eaten more of these combinations when I was broke than any other food. Actually, their entire selection of rice meals, from breakfast meals, to chicken, to hotdogs and sausages, are all delicious, made well, and are extremely affordable. Really, Family Mart is by far and away the best convenience store in the country.

Family Mart - I can honestly say that this is the best convenience store we have in the…read morePhilippines. I am so glad that someone was smart enough to think about bringing in this Japanese franchise over to Manila. There are a lot of food options to choose from, whether it is a heavy meal you want or some light snacks. I like how they incorporated Filipino products inside their stores but they still managed to sell their own food - Sushi, Cha Sobra, Katsudon, special chocolatey items, Japanese salty snacks, etc. At one point, everyone was also crazy about their Matcha (Green Tea) Ice cream because it was only P25.00 and you can even swirl as much as you can handle! Their service is also very efficient, you can ask the cashier on what to recommend for snacks and they'll be happy to tell you which ones are the usual favorites.

Great location, nice service, and good selection of necessities. The staff is very helpful and the…read moresecurity is attentive. The "point-point" food will get you by in a crunch. There is seating inside allowing you to eat your food in the comfort of A/C.