The Coffee Club, Australia’s largest café chain, and Liwa Minor’s first brand in the UAE opened its first store in January at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall. This was soon followed by their second store at Dubai’s Wasl Vita Mall in March. By the end of 2015, the chain hopes to open 4 more stores across the UAE – at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Airport Free Zone and two other locations in the capital.
Overseeing the expansion of the group is the new CEO of Liwa Minor Food and Beverages LLC, a joint venture between the Thai based Minor Group and the Al Nasser Holdings Group; Mr. Paul Smith.
Smith will lead the joint venture to become one of the most recognized F&B businesses in the region measured by Customer Engagement, Operational Excellence and People Development. Smith comes into the role with a track record of delivery in PLC, Joint Venture, Private and W.F.O.E businesses and a reputation for business development especially in highly culturally diverse, complex international environments. His previous experience includes roles at Thailand based The RMA Group, M.E.N.A, Russia, China and S.E. Asia based Costa Coffee, Kuwait based M.H. Alshaya and UK based Marks & Spencer.
“The UAE is full of opportunity, we see new F&B concepts being launched on a daily basis giving customers huge choice and variety. We need to ensure that the foundations we establish give our customers a great choice of quality brands, outstandingly operated with exemplary customer service; and I’m excited to be part of that”, said Paul Smith. “Having worked in new market launches in M.E.N.A, Russia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, the UAE stands out as having a great foundation of café culture that is already very much part of the country’s heritage.”
“We warmly welcome Paul Smith on board and are motivated to face the challenges the bustling F&B industry in the UAE brings. His wealth of experience will be instrumental in setting us apart in the market and complementing our expansion into other GCC markets,” said Mr. Abdulla Nasser Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Board at Al Nasser Holdings and Group.
The Coffee Club is owned by Minor DKL Food Group; a leading Australian retail food brand franchisor. Since its inception in 1989, the café group has expanded to 360 cafés throughout 9 countries including Thailand, Egypt and China. The chain that serves more than 40 million cups of coffee to its approximately 30 million customers annually, is well known for its famous all day breakfast and serves as a relaxed meeting place for patrons. As well as its breakfast option, the cafe offers a variety of food options including sensational salads, sandwiches, light meals and pastas. Customers will always find something to delight their taste buds throughout the day.