The international coffee chain will focus on convenience in the Southeast Asian nation with new drive-thru stores playing a key role in the brand's growth plans
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CBTL currently operates 127 outlets across Malaysia | Photo credit: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) is on course to reach 140 stores in Malaysia by the end of 2022 and plans to open 40 new outlets in the country next year.
CBTL opened its first store in Malaysia in 1997 at Kuala Lumpur’s KL Plaza. It currently operates 127 outlets across the country.
At an event marking 25 years of the brand in Malaysia, Fiona Rodrigues, CBTL Malaysia’s Head of Marketing & Innovation, said the coffee chain will focus on convenience with the 2023 openings, with at least 15 new drive-thru outlets.
CBTL was founded in California, US, in 1963 and today operates more than 1,000 stores in nearly 40 countries worldwide. CBTL manages company-owned stores in the US, Singapore and Malaysia, alongside franchised outlets across Asia, South America and the Middle East.
The coffee chain was acquired by Filipino fast food company Jollibee Food Corporation for $350m in late 2019. Jollibee reported CBTL achieving 16.5% revenue growth in the three months ended 30 June 2022.
Malaysia has seen a flurry of investment from both domestic and international coffee chains in 2022.
Malaysian coffee chain ZUS Coffee opened its 100th outlet in July 2022 and plans to reach 180 stores by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya Food Berhad commenced a joint venture with Paris Baguette’s Singaporean subsidiary to bring the bakery café chain to Malaysia.
Paris Baguette Singapore is also investing RM130m ($29.6m) to develop its first Paris Baguette halal-certified bakery manufacturing and distribution centre in the Malaysian state of Johor.
In September 2022 Indonesia’s Kopi Kenangan announced plans to launch in Malaysia before the end of the year with the country representing the coffee chains first international market.
World Coffee Portal forecasts the Malaysian branded coffee shop market will reach 2,775 outlets by 2025.