Coffee Planet has set out on an ambitious three-pronged expansion drive in the region. The Dubai-based coffee company has now joined forces with companies from the US and the UK in order to expand in the Middle East.
In an exclusive interview with
Caterer Middle East
, CEO Kerem Camcigil and director Matthew Yorke Smith announced the company’s move into the hotel, foodservice and retail sector. Providing hotels with coffee, customised service and after sales service, is the company’s key selling point, commented Yorke Smith.
“We send maintenance engineers to the clients before they are even aware of any technical problems as our GSM (global system for mobile communication) can detect temperatures and the volume of drinks produced in any hour,” he added.
Now aiming to target the foodservice sector, Coffee Planet admitted that winning contracts at hotel properties was difficult, but Yorke Smith said the company would look in particular at new properties set to come online.
“We now plan to go to the next stage of our business, which is a combination of three groups: ourselves, Union Coffee Roasters and US-based coffee machine manufacturer Concordia Systems. We recently started working with Kempinski Mall of the Emirates and Le Meridien Dubai, and we are talking with several other groups,” commented Camcigil.
East London-based Union Coffee Roasters recently showcased its products to executive chefs and professionals from Dubai’s hospitality industry, in a bid to boost Coffee Planet’s presence in the region.
The company, which sources its beans from 18 countries, has been supplying its products to Coffee Planet for two years, and has gained particular interest from independent hotels and cafes.
“We work with 18 countries to source our coffee, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala and Rwanda. In the beverage industry there are tea and wine sommeliers, yet the coffee industry is stopping itself from developing in that way, so this is something we need to push for,” said Jeremy Torz, roastmaster, Union
Coffee Roasters.
Camcigil also revealed the company’s plans to open standalone cafes in the future, featuring fully seated layouts and waitress service.
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