The sweet smell of success: the UAE’s boutique coffee revolution

A business that began with “one roasting machine and a box of cups” has grown into a hugely successful on-the-go coffee company, importing more than 700 tonnes of beans a year and serving 4.5 million cups of coffee last month.

Coffee Planet, a family business established in Dubai, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and is about to double in size.

It’s one of an increasing number of homegrown roasteries – including Raw, Boon and Bio Bean –fuelling the coffee boom.

Coffee Planet’s beans are imported from 22 countries, roasted and packed in its Jebel Ali warehouse, then distributed across the country and farther afield.

Rob Jones, from Wales, makes for a slightly unusual boss of a coffee company. He has a background in technology and computer science and worked at a live music venue, but says he never really “got into a career” before joining Coffee Planet at 25.

It was set up by his father, his brother and his business partner Matthew Yorke-Smith, who had the idea of on-the-go coffee.

“It started as a trial. We bought a machine from Seattle and one box of cups. We went to the cup company and asked for a couple of hundred – they said the minimum was 25,000.”

The company set up the machine and cups in an Adnoc petrol station. After a successful trial, it was given the green light to expand into all the stations. As far as Jones is concerned, it was the only real choice for consumers.

Original article by Mitya Underwood

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The sweet smell of success: the UAE’s boutique coffee revolution