NBA Cafe To Open In Manila, Philippines; First Location In Asia

NBA fans in Asia get ready as the National Basketball Association opens its first Café in the continent.

NBA Café will be opening its first-ever Asian location in Manila, Philippines at the soon-to-open SM Aura Mall in Taguig City. The announcement was made by the NBA and Hoopla Inc. today, May 6, as the construction is already under way for the unique café.

NBA Café will be the first of its kind in Manila--a basketball restaurant and café made especially for fans of the league and the sport. The business will be catering to over 40 million Filipinos who love basketball, as well as the millions of tourists that visit the country each year.

"Basketball fans in the country now have a place dedicated and designed specifically for them," shared Assistant Vice President of Hoopla Inc., Nian Rigor, in a press conference earlier Monday. "NBA Café will provide them a taste of the authentic NBA experience that they can share with family and friends, complete with great food, custom-made NBA Café Manila merchandise and the finest in basketball entertainment. This stays in line with our goal to bring new experiences and concepts to Filipinos."

The café will feature a unique dining experience that screams NBA. League memorabilia will be displayed all throughout the café, an NBA retail area will provide exclusive league merchandise, NBA programs will be aired in the café and a string of viewing parties and NBA star appearances will be held at the new dining location.

"The NBA Café will be a unique destination that will bring NBA basketball closer to our fans in the Philippines," NBA Country Manager for the Philippines, Carlo Singson, explained. "Given their vast knowledge in the food and entertainment industry, Hoopla is an ideal partner to bring the NBA Café to life and to provide fans another authentic NBA experience."

The NBA Café in Manila will be only the second league-owned restaurant to open outside the United States (NYC & Orlando). Another Café is planned to open in Madrid, Spain sometime this year.

Late last month, NBA legend Mugsy Bogues visited the café site with NBA executives to see how things were turning out for the NBA Café construction.

"This is my first time in the Philippines and I'm overwhelmed by the passion the people have for basketball here," shared Bogues. "More than a restaurant, the NBA Café will be a destination where fans here can watch games in an entertaining atmosphere that captures the history and excitement of the NBA."

The NBA Café is expected to open on September of this year.