Abu Dhabi-based Al Nasser Holdings has entered into a joint venture with Minor Food Group to open 100 outlets of The Coffee Club, Australia’s largest home-grown café group, across the GCC region by 2023.

A multi-disciplined business conglomerate in the UAE and the GCC countries, Al Nasser operates and manages specialty retail stores, manufactured steel products and provides oilfield services and storage facilities for oil trading.

Minor Food Group owns, operates or franchises more than 10 brands and a profitable system of more than 1,400 restaurants and in 13 countries across Asia.

The official signing of a licencing agreement with the new joint venture Liwa Minor Food & Beverages and The Coffee Club Group (The Coffee Club) will see further international expansion of Australia’s largest home-grown café.

The Coffee Club currently has 68 international stores with 46 in New Zealand, 12 in Thailand, 4 in China, 3 in Egypt, 2 in the Maldives and 1 in New Caledonia.

The Coffee Club CEO Jason Ball said the GCC agreement was another important milestone for the future growth of the brand internationally, which is hot on the heels of the signing with Malaysia in August.

“Expanding our store footprint is a key focus for us, particularly now that we are underway with our brand transformation. Internationalmarkets play an integral role in these plans and we are excited by the opportunities presented within the GCC States,” remarked Ball.

“We currently have a presence in seven countries across the world and this signing, along with the recent deal with Malaysia, will see us grow to at least 14 countries within the next ten years,” he noted.

“The GCC represents huge growth potential for The Coffee Club brand and we are excited by the new partnership and look forward to the first store opening in the new year,” stated Ball.

The Coffee Club Group is one of many Australian companies who have successfully expanded into international markets, showcasing home-grown expertise abroad.

The Group’s Rib’s & Rumps brand is already successfully operating in the Middle East with restaurants in the Dubai Mall, UAE and Mangaf, Kuwait.

Since opening its doors in Brisbane in 1989, The Coffee Club now boasts of more than 335 stores across seven countries. In 2008, hospitality and leisure company Minor International took a 50 per cent stake in The Coffee Club, fuelling international growth of the Australian brand.-TradeArabia News Service