4,000 Coffee Houses Now Operating In UAE As Coffee Market Expected To Grow By Over 30 Per Cent
The Food and Beverage (F&B) brands in UAE malls, especially the coffee entrepreneurs, have had a healthy run in the first six months, and the opening of Costa Coffee at Hili Mall in Al Ain is a reflection of the strong growth trajectory. Launched recently, Costa Coffee at Hili Mall is centrally located, sitting next to an array of restaurants and other retail outlets, offering coffee lovers a perfect sip. “People in the UAE are coffee drinkers. It is safe to say that coffee is more than just a drink in this part of the world. Aside from being an inherent part of the Arab culture, a leisure past time and a business pre-requisite, coffee nowadays is being appreciated as more of an experience within a beverage rather than just a daily caffeine fix. The upward surge in the domestic demand for it is very evident in the growing presence of so many brands across the country. We strongly believe that the addition of Costa Coffee to our pool of superb F&B outlets will not only increase our footfall but will also offer our visitors prime spot to relax and unwind at their own pace,” said Saeed Sultan Al Dhaheri, CEO - Hili Mall.
Costa Coffee at Hili Mall spans across 1,033 square feet and is their 2nd store to open in Al Ain. It already has 150 outlets nationwide and plans to add 20 more by end of this year.
It has been noted that the UAE’s coffee market is expected to grow by over 30 per cent in the next three years, as the country’s trading hub emerges as a key supply cog in the global coffee supply chain, according to F&B online resource Zagat.
With domestic demand continuing an upward surge, evidenced by over 4,000 tea and coffee houses now operating in the country and 82 per cent of the population saying they drink coffee each day, the UAE is increasingly seen as both a growing consumer and re-export market for coffee beans and refined finished product.
“At Hili Mall, we’ve always been committed to serving our visitors with hospitality, and Costa Coffee provides a great strategic fit in attracting customers and revenue in the concession’s own right, whilst adding footfall and increasing dwell time, ''added Saeed Sultan Al Dhaheri.
With over 55,000 Sq.ft F&B area and over 300,000 Sq.ft total gross leasable area, Hili Mall intends to continue investing in its F&B outlets, aiming to appeal to the varied mind-sets of the visitors.
“It is important that we partner with the cream of the crop in order to deliver the best experience for our visitors. This strategy will not only strengthen customer experience but also generate sales, thus, giving our tenants higher revenue. The opening of Costa Coffee in Hili Mall is mutually beneficial; bringing together one of the most favourite coffee shops in the UAE and one of Al Ain’s first rate shopping mall”, concluded Saeed Sultan Al Dhaheri.
