A local café built with passion: Coffee Architecture
Her connection with coffee was formed quite early in life when, as a child, she used to hover around her grandmother, who was very fond of serving coffee to guests and family members. While growing up, she started associating coffee with hospitality. Eventually, Nooran Albannay launched her own café called Coffee Architecture on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi.
What started as an interest developed into a hobby and eventually ended up in a commercial venture. Before setting up Coffee Architecture, Albannay did a certification to understand speciality coffee. “I am the first Emirati certified as a Q Grader by the Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA),” she shares.
But why is the brand called Coffee Architecture? It could well have been Nooran’s Café!
“That’s because, I am an architect,” Albannay responds. “I studied architecture and worked later with ADNOC for a long time. There came the point when I wanted to start my own endeavour and decided to call the café Coffee Architecture – combining two things that I love – art, architecture and coffee. And I used to get this vision of people coming to my café, feeling energised by a cup of coffee and admiring the interiors.”
Launched in August 2018, Coffee Architecture has built a considerable fan following. Given the location on Al Reem Island, initially, Coffee Architecture resonated quite well with the local Emiratis. However, as time went by and the word spread the audience built up and widened. “Today, we see residents of Al
Reem Island visiting us as much as people from Abu Dhabi and other emirates, comprising Emiratis and expatriates. We have been able to catch the interest of locals as well as expatriates,” Albannay states.
Albannay is also very proud of the way she adds a personal touch to every cup of coffee sold at Coffee Architecture. “It’s needless to harp on the importance of customer service. For any brand – big or small – customer service is a central focus area. It’s not different in our case,” she points out. “Our mandate is always to ensure that every customer leaves the café with a smile. Also, the fact that I am at the café every day, making and serving coffee to my guests adds a personal touch that they appreciate. They instantly feel connected with Coffee Architecture.”
No wonder, the brand has been able to record significant repeat visits, despite not doing delivery. “We see a section of our loyal customers visiting us every day,” she confirms. “Besides, we also participate in events and pop-ups to build brand awareness. For example, we participated in Formula 1 and Abu Dhabi Moments events in 2019. We have also signed up with an app called Coffee Craft, which allows customers to place an order and pick up from our café while getting a discount.”
Now more than before, this kind of collaboration comes in handy, as drive-thru and take-away becomes a necessity amidst the COVID-19 situation.
Moving back to the café, Coffee Architecture is spread across 650 sqft space and can accommodate around 20 people. “We are considering moving to a bigger space to accommodate more visitors and resolve challenges around access,” Albannay reveals. When asked if the forthcoming outlet will be in a shopping mall, she says it won’t be. “But it will be in Abu Dhabi, and we are already talking to developers.”
“Having that said, as a new brand, my focus is on quality over quantity, and we will plan growth accordingly. Moreover, Coffee Architecture isn’t just a café for me; I am trying to create a culture around coffee without sugar. Such concepts take time to build,” she opines.
On average, customers spend anywhere between AED35-and-50 at Coffee Architecture. The best-selling items are cappuccino and flat white. “Cortado – a full shot of espresso with little milk – also sells well,” says Albannay. “Besides these, we also have tea and hot chocolate on our menu. And every three months, we add new items to the menu to keep it exciting, especially because we have a significant volume of repeat customers who visit regularly. We are ever-keen to offer them something new, as much as possible.”
The café’s interiors are chic and themed around coffee and art. “Minimalism is also a key theme at Coffee Architecture,” Albannay points out. “We have used marble and glass to create a minimalistic yet elegant look and feel. From counter to seating areas, we have used a lot of marble, while the flooring is Italian ceramic. We have used colours sparingly – hues of white, black, grey and a dash of yellow to add vibrance.”
Another critical design aspect at Coffee Architecture is a collaboration with local artists. “Every three months, we showcase works by different local artists,” Albannay elaborates. “We organise a day of gathering and workshop every time we sign up a new artist. For example, the works of photographer Abdulrazzak Fareed was very well-received, which we showcased during Ramadan in 2019.”
“Importantly, we don’t charge the artists anything for space, only a minimum amount to clean the walls. Yet, it creates a win-win situation, because the artists get exposure, while we can bring in footfall, thereby increasing brand awareness,” she adds.
In summation, the big question is why another café, when the UAE market is full of several concepts?
“It’s simple; I am passionate about coffee and wanted to create my own brand to spread happiness through every cup of coffee. Above all, I want to inspire other aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their passion,” Albannay explains.
“Each day, from the time we opened, has been exciting and challenging at the same time. It’s not only serving a cup of coffee to my customers; I aspire to inspire them and turn them into loyal ambassadors. That’s why I quit ADNOC to concentrate on my own business fulltime – to build the brand every single day. After all, I have put in all my savings to build this brand and would like to see it grow,” she concludes. ■