CAFÉ YOUNES: THE LEBANESE HOMEGROWN CONCEPT MAKING NOISE ON THE MIDDLE EAST’S COFFEE SCENE

The sensory coffee experience delivered by Café Younes, a Lebanese family-run business, has without a doubt contributed to its success in Egypt and UAE. Here, Amin Younes, the mastermind behind the renowned brand, shares some exciting news about the firm’s regional footprint and why Café Younes is the name on everyone’s lips.

You’ve recently opened a branch in El Gouna. Why did you set your sights on Egypt and what has been the market response?

Café Younes already began its regional expansion with Black Coffee by Café Younes in Dubai. Egypt was the natural choice after Dubai, as it is the most populated country in the Middle East, and our market search and discussions with our partners reaffirmed our belief that the specialty coffee scene there is growing both exponentially and rapidly. Egyptians have always been coffee lovers, but specialty coffee and the craftsmanship behind it are witnessing greater appreciation today, especially among the younger generations.

Against this backdrop, with the inception of Daily Dose by Cafe Younes, we took a conscious decision to fill the biggest gap, which is in El Gouna; it has now become an all-year destination that caters to foreigners and locals alike.

Are you considering any additional franchises?

Café Younes has grown from one coffee roaster in Lebanon in 1935 to a brand with 13 locations in three countries. It is already attracting potential investors that are specifically choosing Café Younes for its heritage, premium coffee and unique atmosphere that blends authentic charm with a contemporary setting, while vividly bringing back the memory of old Beirut. Europe’s specialty coffee shop franchise market is becoming sizeable. Whether in Germany, France, Portugal, Greece, the UK, Netherlands or untapped regions brimming with possibilities, Café Younes is seriously looking to export its franchise, highly scalable and unique concept to enable coffee aficionados to experience something completely new.

What can Café Younes’ clients in Lebanon and the UAE look forward to?

In Lebanon, we’ve recently launched our e-commerce platform, allowing customers the freedom to choose from more than 10 specialty coffees on three continents. The freshly roasted Costa Rica, Guatemala and Marjeiouni blends are a click away!

As for our plans in the Emirates, building on the success of our Black Coffee by Café Younes flagship store on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai and ensuing strong brand loyalty, we have decided to open a second store in the heart of Dubai’s Media City. The opening is planned for December 2022.