From Marrakech to Jakarta, Seoul, Europe and beyond: Bacha Coffee goes global
In a coffee culture dominated by global juggernauts, Bacha Coffee stands as a timeless emblem of rich tradition and unparalleled taste.
Founded amidst the opulent settings of Marrakech’s Dar el Bacha palace in 1910, this Moroccan coffee brand has recently made waves with its ambitious expansion into new territories.
The latest chapter in Bacha Coffee’s saga unfolded with the announcement of its inaugural ventures into Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.
Spearheading this move are two flagship stores nestled in prime locations: one at the prestigious Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taipei’s vibrant Xinyi Xintiandi district, and the other at the iconic Dubai Mall.
With a growing network of 13 stores across East Asia and three in the Middle East, Bacha Coffee’s vision extends far beyond the borders of its home country, bridging continents with a shared love for exceptional coffee.
In an exclusive interview with Taha Bouqdib, the president and CEO of V3 Gourmet, Bacha Coffee’s operator, we discussed the brand’s expansion strategy, and its vision for the future amidst evolving consumer preferences and global market dynamics.
Onwards and upwards
According to Bouqdib, the brand has captured the public’s imagination since the company reopened its original location in Marrakech back in 2019.
“This collective enthusiasm to discover another world of coffee appreciation has created a momentum to expand Bacha Coffee beyond the Dar el Bacha palace,” he told Inside Retail.
Since then, the brand has expanded to Asia, with 15 locations in Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, and across the Middle East, with four locations in Dubai, Kuwait City and Doha – all in quick but measured succession.
“While my strategy is to open in the major capitals of the world, I focus first and foremost on quality rather than quantity. Our locations in Dubai Mall at Fashion Avenue, at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 in Taipei and at The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur are prime examples of curated properties selected to ensure that the destination itself also reflects the ethos of our products and brand,” he added.
Unique formats
The Taipei location is unique in the sense that it offers a retail space, coffee bar and takeaway counter in the same area. Its location in Taipei was designed after careful consideration of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 shoppers.
“Given its strategic location at the entrance of the department store, the takeaway concept allows customers to enjoy a coffee on the go, while the bar allows them a leisurely coffee degustation and a rest from a day of shopping,” Bouqdib noted.
Other unique destinations include its expansive coffee room at KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, where the magic of the original location in Marrakech pervades the coffee room which extends outdoors to a trellised garden terrace.
Another example is the ‘The Arch’ at Singapore’s Changi International Airport, which features 11-metre-high stained glass ceilings, balconies decked with real coffee trees and an exclusive digital coffee master to assist travellers in quickly finding their preferred coffee.
The vision
According to Bouqdib, the Middle East and Asia will continue to be key to the company’s growth.
“We plan to open select locations in every fashion capital around the world over the next three years, and we already have plans to launch in Jakarta and Seoul by summer, and to expand our presence in Europe before the year end,” he said.
Moreover, the brand has an e-commerce platform and official stores on a select number of premium online marketplaces. The brand fulfils orders to over 40 countries, including the United States, France, the GCC and Japan in their local languages and currencies.
“In the long term, we must simply never disappoint our customers by ensuring that every coffee is of the same quality every time they purchase it, and that our service remains of the same engaging quality, each and every time that a customer comes into our stores. Building the infrastructure to support this globally is really the key to long-term success,” he pointed out.
Innovation is key
Since the brand came to be in 1910, exceptional quality and taste have been the cornerstones of its product range. According to Bouqdib, over the past six months, the company has launched over 50 new products, some seasonal and rare coffee harvests.
“My philosophy is not to ‘launch’ products just for the sake of it, but to share the best of what we design or discover along the coffee trails with our customers. New products are a chance to engage in building a relationship with our customers, an opportunity to surprise and delight. We create desire, rather than respond to it,” he opined.
Bouqdib said there were many naysayers who didn’t believe Bacha Coffee’s concept of preparing coffee in the traditional manner in its coffee rooms would catch on amidst the onslaught of espresso-based beverages.
“However, I took the risk as I truly believed that the taste of our coffee would convince customers, since a traditional preparation offers so many more flavour notes which often customers cannot identify when drinking an espresso,” he added.
Bouqdib believes we have entered a ‘new age’ of coffee appreciation, where coffee is brewed slowly and carefully as a product of “haute” gastronomy, and not just a quick caffeine fix.
“This was not the case before Bacha Coffee launched five years ago, and it gives me great confidence for the future of our brand,” he stressed.
The past, present and future
Bouqdib has always been fascinated with brands that bridge the past, present and future, and this has allowed him to bring the authenticity of Bacha’s past to products that are relevant to today’s customers.
“We bring back the five senses to the coffee experience, from our slow roasting methods, our traditional coffee preparation, and our elegant service. What I see as its future is taking that quality and that detail and applying it to products and concepts that will revolutionise coffee drinking, so that Bacha Coffee can continue to mesmerise customers into the future,” he noted.
He is not one to follow trends and admits that he doesn’t pay much attention to what others in the industry are doing.
“I create experiences and design products that I love. If I can’t find something on the market, I create it. If I love something that can already be found, then I improve or innovate it,” he added.
He believes this is what draws customers to Bacha’s brand and products. “They recognise that a tastemaker is personally selecting the very best experiences for them, and constantly innovating behind the scenes,” he said.
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