The Bogotá-based coffee chain says high tourist footfall and a strong economy make the UAE an ideal base to implement a wider Middle East expansion strategy
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The Jumeirah Beach outlet will officially launch on 22 February 2024 | Photo credit: Juan Valdez
Colombian coffee chain Juan Valdez has made its debut in the UAE with a store in Dubai’s upmarket Jumeirah Beach.
The outlet is currently in a ‘preliminary opening’ phase and will officially launch on 22 February 2024.
Juan Valdez International Vice President Sebastián Mejía said Juan Valdez is planning to open more company-owned and franchised stores in the UAE, as well as develop its online and horeca channels in the country.
The coffee chain’s Dubai debut also marks the beginning of the brand’s planned expansion across the Middle East and Asia.
“This key and strategic market represents a great opportunity for Juan Valdez's expansion in the Middle East. Dubai, due to its levels of tourism and the dynamism of its economy, is the perfect place to make our coffee visible,” Mejía said.
Bogotá-based Juan Valdez currently operates approximately 560 stores globally, including 200 across 17 international markets. The brand made its Middle East debut with an outlet in Kuwait in 2013, before launching in Qatar in April 2022 and Egypt in October 2023.
The UAE is the second largest branded coffee shop market in the Middle East, behind Saudi Arabia, and has developed into an attractive hub for international operators, with Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, Dunkin’ and Caribou Coffee all scaling their presence in the country over the last few years.
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More international brands, including the UK’s Black Sheep Coffee, boutique label Ralph’s Coffee and California’s Reborn Coffee, are set to enter the UAE in 2024.
Additionally, South Korean bakery cafe chain Paris Baguette, London-based specialty coffee group Grind, Brazilian small-format concept The Coffee and bubble tea giant Gong cha are among those to have signed, or are currently seeking to sign, franchise agreements to open stores in the country.