Peculiarities of Doing Business in Dubai: Why Is Roasters Specialty Coffee Chain so Popular?

In the article called «How To Open A Cafe in Dubai and Turn It Into A Chain» I was talking about Roasters franchise and revealed some figures such as an average check, return on investment, and investment amount as well as explained what franchisees of Roasters Specialty Coffee House chain get. In this article, I’d like to focus on the features of our coffee house, and even give you a virtual tour so that you can get the feel of this business and the overall vibe of it, even if you haven’t visited us yet.

But for starters, I will answer one of the frequently asked questions, “What is the peculiarity of doing business in Dubai?”.

Business in Dubai: Special features of starting and running your own project

Dubai is a very dynamic city. People don’t take months to negotiate and agree on something here. So, decisions are typically made very quickly. My partner and I agreed on my involvement in the project of high-end coffee houses in a matter of five days starting from the moment when I found out about it and until the moment when we shook hands and I invested. A detailed business plan covering global and local analytics gave me an understanding of the concept and made me realize that it would be a success. So, I planned to scale up. By the way, this is one of the laws of a successful business―you need to think everything through in advance to scale up your business.

Another thing you need to factor in when doing business in Dubai is the fact that there is a long waiting list when it comes to good locations. This is the best guarantee for the success of any establishment. As Roasters Specialty Coffee House has been operating in this sector for over a year, we knew which locations are popular, what you should pay attention to, and where our potential clients go to the most. This is why we carefully choose rental spaces and will be able to share our best practices with our partners beforehand. It’s critical to obtain a relevant license to run your business in Dubai. This country is open to new trends and projects but all of them need to be formalized in accordance with the existing laws. In nearly two years of living and running a business in Dubai, I got my hands on 8 licenses for various types of activities, so I know firsthand about the ins and outs of having a business in the United Arab Emirates.

Download the presentation to learn more about franchise, coffee shops and profitability figures.

We went from opening our first coffee shop to expanding the chain, and know all subtleties of this business. We will help franchisees implement the project faster from the concept to its launch. The more successful our franchisees are, the more successful our chain.

To those who are only contemplating relocation and starting a business in Dubai, I suggest researching the legislation, finding a credible intermediary to do the paperwork, or contacting my consulting company that assisted me with relocation and is running my business here.

Specific features of Roasters Specialty Coffee House chain: Things franchisees will use to make guests fall in love

Three coffee shops (Roasters Specialty Coffee House Al Wasl, a coffee villa with a beautiful view of Burj Khalifa, Roasters cafe in Dubai Mall, and Roasters Specialty Coffee House JBR) are currently open to visitors. I’d like to tell you about them so that you could feel like you are one of our guests and enjoy the coffee flavor.

And I’m going to start with coffee.

1. Exclusive.

I must say I really like the V60 Jamaica Blue Mountain cold brew. It’s a unique coffee. Only two companies import Jamaica Blue Mountain into the UAE. And the Roasters chain is on that list.

Exclusive coffee is one of our signature features. We offer coffee you won’t find anywhere else in Dubai or the Middle East, e.g., the Guatemala Geisha Freddy Morales Farm micro lot that won the Cup of Excellence Guatemala award. Our chain is the only one in the Middle East that bought it. By the way, this micro lot was only 150 kg for the whole world.

Our franchisees will obviously be able to serve drinks made with exclusive varieties.

2. Professional.

The way the beverage tastes depends on the barista’s skills. We sell not only traditional coffee but also drinks based on it. You want to have mastery over the whole process by choosing and combining products the right way. At our chain, coffee gets made by baristas who were trained by the best experts. Will franchisees have the same baristas? Yes, they will because we help them train their staff.

3. In-house coffee roasting.

We give our coffee a unique taste and maintain quality. Roasting coffee in-house enables us to control the process and thereby offer the most delicious beverages.

Top facts about our coffee houses: Here’s what amazes and captivates visitors

We don’t copy and paste our coffee houses. Every facility is unique and quirky.

For example, one of the coffee houses uses original travertine stone in its interior. We ordered it in Italy and get it shaped there. Undoubtedly, you want to put your heart and soul into your business to make it prosper. Customers will see and appreciate all that. They often ask baristas about this stone in the coffee house and admire it. Well, it’s not for nothing that we tried so hard.

And one more thing: our first coffee shop is the largest coffee villa in the district. It always makes you feel a special atmosphere. For a long time, we puzzled over how to arrange tables for our guests to create a cozy atmosphere for everyone. And we did it. We arranged all the tables so that you can have a talk comfortably, and no one will hear you. Also, working on the interior is a precious experience that we’ll definitely share with our franchisees.

I’ve mentioned roasting. Can you manage without it in your coffee house? You can. But we wanted to control all coffee-related processes. For many, coffee isn’t just a drink to wake you up in the morning. It’s philosophy. And this philosophy must be respected. True coffee lovers know different roasting shades. I once observed a coffee connoisseur getting frozen and amazed by one sip. We roast coffee in-house for moments like that when our guests get taken to a special world of coffee enjoyment.

Also, you can pay with cryptocurrencies at our coffee houses. Of course, opening the NFT gallery for the crypto community without this payment option is bizarre. Note that our guests often use this payment option.

Let me tell you a little more about the NFT gallery. NFT is a modern form of investment in digital art. It can be anything from a child’s drawing to a painting by a famous artist, a show recording, etc. People come to our NFT gallery not only to enjoy top-level coffee but also to get an aesthetic experience. People come over to see something new and expand their boundaries. We’ve transformed the coffee house into something more. I can’t say it’s a full-fledged educational center. But I believe that an educational center serving elite coffee can be an idea for our franchisees.

There’s something that got me hooked regarding the Roasters project back then when we negotiated the details. I’m talking about limitless opportunities for growth. Most of my businesses are locked by the format. But there are no limits here: you can create something new and express yourself through the interior, concepts, and even the menu. This kind of business is super profitable and exciting because it enables you to not only earn money but also fulfill yourself in other directions.

And I’ll be happy if our Roasters chain grows thanks to talented, creative franchisees who aren’t afraid to experiment.