KUALA LUMPUR – Juan Valdez Cafe has taken another important step in its international expansion strategy, by establishing operations in Malaysia.
The company opened today its first coffee shop in Kula Lumpur and plans to follow up with 15 new stores in the near future in the most important Malaysian cities and destinations: Kuala Lumpur, in the Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), and Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Penang island and Johor Bahru.
The Colombian Ambassador in Malaysia, Rodrigo Querubin L, Juan Valdez Café CEO Mr. Hernan Méndez, local dignitaries, celebrities, regional media representatives were present at the opening of the first 220-sq meter store, located in The Intermark Mall at 348 Jalan Tun Razak, in the exclusive Golden Triangle.
Even Juan Valdez himself, the farmer that represents all Colombian coffee growers made the trip to Kuala Lumpur to represent the brand´s owners.
The Colombian coffee producer´s chain arrives in Malaysia attracted by a premium coffee market boom in partnership with My Coffee Asia Sdn, the company that will be in charge of its expansion.
“We are very optimistic about our presence in Malaysia and South East Asia,” said Méndez during the opening of the first Juan Valdez coffee shop in the region.
“We know about the local consumer’s appreciation for Colombian coffee, considered the best washed mild arabica coffee in the world, with a variety of sub-regional notes that will certainly delight Juan Valdez Café’s customers. I am sure Juan Valdez Cafe with its unique, genuine experience and premium quality will conquer the Malaysian market”
This new store follows the successful Origins format (recently launched last December in Bogotá, the Colombian capital city), which aims at offering a unique experience of Colombian coffee regional origins and particular ways of brewing them.
The new Juan Valdez Café is the brand´s first flagship Origins coffee shop outside Colombia.
For the opening of the coffee shop, Colombian brewing experts from Juan Valdez´s headquarters and the Colombian-based training team traveled to Malaysia to bring the premium coffee culture and experience the brand is known for.
The portfolio of products to be offered by Juan Valdez includes specialty roasted and packed coffee from different Colombian regions, hot and cold drinks brewed from Colombian premium coffee, a great variety of premium pastries developed by a recognized international chef and products for coffee brewing and consumption.
Juan Valdez Arrives in one of the World’s attractive Region
Malaysia’s dynamic economy has caught the attention of the investor community, and Juan Valdez decided it could not miss out this opportunity.
This country’s steady growth —about 4% in the last years— the government’s stated goal to become a high-income economy by 2020, plus growth in the coffee category of 6% per year, were powerful reasons that prompted the Colombian coffee grower´s brand to come to this country.
Malaysia is an increasingly demanding coffee market, with young consumers featuring a very educated palate and great appreciation of premium-type products, such as those marketed by Juan Valdez Café.
Connoisseurs recognize that Juan Valdez Café has immense room for growth throughout the country.
With the opening of the first store in Malaysia, Juan Valdez Café already has 267 coffee shops, of which 187 are in Colombia and 81 distributed in 12 other countries: Aruba, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Panama, South Korea, Spain and the United States.
There will be 330 stores operating worldwide by year’s end with new openings planned for in Latin American as well as in other regions of the world.
Source: FNC
