Saudi Arabia’s Barn’s signs franchise deal to launch in Qatar

Barn’s stand at the International Coffee Exhibition in Qatar | Photo credit: Barn’s

Saudi Arabian coffee chain Barn’s has signed a franchise agreement with Family Holdings subsidiary Royal Taste to launch in Qatar. 
 

Writing on LinkedIn, drive-thru-focused Barn’s said Royal Taste’s ‘rich legacy’ in the Qatari retail and hospitality industries places the coffee chain in a strong position for growth. 

The franchise partnership comes six weeks after Barn’s took part in the Doha International Coffee Exhibition 2024 and highlighted the country’s ‘burgeoning coffee culture’ and potential to become a ‘key player in the global coffee market’. 

Barn’s currently operates 800 stores across Saudi Arabia and made its international debut in May 2024 with an outlet in Bahrain before launching in Egypt five months later. 

Read related content: “Coffee is the elixir of life” – Barn’s CEO, Mohammed Al Zain 

With 450 stores, Qatar is currently the sixth largest branded coffee shop market across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by outlets. The market is heavily influenced by international operators, with market leader Starbucks, Filipino chain Bo’s Coffee and the UK’s Costa Coffee among those growing their market share over the past 12 months.  
 

Qatar is an appealing destination for international hospitality brands, with its food and beverage industry expected to generate $9.7bn revenue in 2024 and further tourism growth forecast after a boom in visitors during 2022 and 2023. 

World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Middle East 2025 report shows four branded coffee chains – China’s Cotti Coffee, heritage brand Bacha Coffee, Switzerland’s Green Gorilla and coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger – entered Qatar over the last 12 months. The total Qatari branded coffee shop market is forecast to reach 600 outlets by the end of 2029.