By Meryl Mathew
Kuwait’s love for coffee is a well-established fact. Try counting the number of shops, local and franchise, at every corner and in every block and you will lose track. But what sets the coffee culture apart is the innovation, not just in the kind of coffee but the way customers in Kuwait get them.
The Middle East’s rich culture has several unique compositions that makes countries what they are today. Their historic journey and the culture of coffee in the region itself is a great tale to tell.
The tradition of Arabic coffee as a welcome drink or to start the day has been a part of the local culture for more than 600 years. Merchants and dhow captains used met at traditional cafes to not just have a cup of coffee but to also unwind and share their stories.
Even today Kuwait continues this great tradition with a touch of globalization. International chains such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and several artisanal coffee chains started by Kuwaitis such as Jumo, Toby’s Estate, Richard’s Coffee are popular.
According to a study conducted by Global Markets, a business intelligence firm based in Kuwait, the country has registered an average coffeeshop store opening growth rate of 21% since 2013. In 2016 to 2017, the number of stores that opened doubled to reach 48 new stores in 2016 and 81 new stores in 2017. These numbers continue to grow even today.
As remarkable as the numbers sounds, these new stores have paved the way for a modern coffee culture in Kuwait. Walk into any coffee shop and you won’t miss the buzz of activity, from students and freelancers tapping away at their laptops, to friends catching up over a cup of coffee. Coffee shops in Kuwait continue to be popular and vital hubs.
Ali Boshehry who conducted the research with Global Markets used their self-developed trend projection tool to understand local and regional trend life cycles which in-turn projects the next big coffee trend in Kuwait. He states that coffee has currently surpassed the kick off and saturation phase and is currently in its fade out phase.
Although this seems like a negative impact, a new form of coffee experience and distribution channel is expected to thrive.
Kuwait is already experiencing a rise in a new distribution channel wherein just like food and dessert, coffee is being delivered to consumer’s doorsteps from their favorite brands. A pioneer in this trend is the COFE App, launched in 2018 by Ali Al Ebrahim, which uses an intuitive user-interface technology and a unique multi-brand loyalty program.
Today the distance between consumers and their favorite daily coffee is shrinking due the presence of such delivery apps and the several coffee spots that have sprung up in every corner. Drinking coffee in Kuwait is turning into a community-based experience rather than just any other food and beverage commodity. Cafes in Kuwait have succeeded in a creating a community-friendly space by setting up unique and artistic environments. They also continue to emphasize innovation and entrepreneurship by selling their own coffee blends.
It is without a doubt that it’s at Kuwait’s cafes the next big ideas are born. Coffee today in Kuwait is not just about coffee but also the culture, which has led to collaborations that can only add to the country’s growth.
Meryl Mathew is a logistician by profession, a writer by passion and an upcycling hobbyist. She involves herself in a lot of multicultural events across Kuwait. You can find her on Muckrack (meryl-mathew) and on Instagram @Meryl_elizebeth_mathew or @create.kuwait .
