Luckin Coffee to develop coffee business in Middle East and India

Luckin Coffee and Kuwait Food Company Americana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which they plan to launch a new retail coffee business in the Greater Middle East and India. Luckin Coffee says its technology-driven new retail model provides coffee and other products of high quality, affordability, and convenience to its customers. Americana Group has extensive experience as one of the largest integrated food product companies in the Middle East, having run restaurant operations since the 1960s. Luckin Coffee Founder and CEO Jenny Qian Zhiya says the coffee chain’s technology and business model have changed the transaction structure and user experience of China’s coffee industry, and this partnership will do the same for the Middle East. “This collaboration represents Luckin Coffee’s first step toward bringing its leading products from China to the world. We look forward to further expanding the freshly brewed coffee market internationally as we realise the incredible growth opportunities available to us through our innovative business model,” Qian Zhiya says. The MoU was signed in Beijing with Americana Group CEO Kesri Kapur, with both Chinese and Arab government officials in attendance. “We at Americana believe this MoU will revolutionise the food and beverage retail industry in the Greater Middle East and India, regions that provide promising prospects for new retail growth and expansion,” Kapur says. “We have worked with many leading and revolutionary food and beverage brands over our history and believe that Luckin Coffee’s superior products, experience and services will deliver success in these regions.”
          
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Xiamen, China, Luckin Coffee operates more than 3000 stores across 40 cities in China. The company plans to open more than 4500 stores by the end of 2019, which would make it China's largest coffee chain. Follow Global Coffee Report on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for up-to-date news and analysis of the global coffee industry.