The launch comes after the Malaysian coffee chain raised RM 250m ($57.5m) in September 2024 to scale its domestic footprint and enter new international markets
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ZUS Coffee is in ‘active discussions’ to launch in further international markets in 2025 | Photo credit: ZUS Coffee
Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee has launched in Brunei with an outlet at the Setia Point shopping centre in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The move marks the digital-first coffee chain’s second international debut since raising RM 250m ($57.5m) in an investment round led by KV Asia Capital in September 2024.
With a population of just over 450,000, Brunei has one of the smallest branded coffee shop markets in East Asia, with World Coffee Portal’s Project Café East Asia 2024 report identifying less than 30 branded outlets operating.
However, bolstered by substantial oil and gas reserves, Brunei’s GDP per capita is among the highest in the world, with a growing tourism industry and increasingly affluent young population making it an attractive market for international coffee chains.
“Brunei’s coffee scene is exploding. The local coffee scene here is vibrant and full of potential. We’re thrilled to finally introduce the coffee experience in the ZUS way to this beautiful country,” a ZUS Coffee spokesperson told local media.
The Bruneian branded coffee shop market is currently led by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf with 10 stores. US coffee giant Starbucks, franchised chain Gloria Jean’s and Taiwan’s HWC Coffee also operate sites in the country.
World Coffee Portal research forecasts the total branded Bruneian coffee shop market will grow significantly over the next five years and surpass 100 outlets by the end of 2028. Japanese specialty coffee chain % Arabica and South Korean bakery-café chain Paris Baguette have announced plans to launch in Brunei in 2025.
ZUS Coffee currently operates 586 stores in Malaysia, 59 outlets in the Philippines and a single site in Singapore, where it launched in October 2024.
The Selangor-based coffee chain is in ‘active discussions’ with potential partners to launch in further international markets in 2025.