21 February 2007
java u, the well-known Canadian chain of coffee bistros and catering services, with 20 stores in Canada and North America, has announced plans to open 8 to 10 outlets in the UAE and Bahrain alone, over the next five years.
The first outlet of java u outside Canada and North America was opened today at Cascades Building in Dubai Marina, offering a distinctive range of hot and cold coffee beverages and a full-service menu featuring grills, steaks, sandwiches and salads. Two more stores are planned to be opened in the UAE before the end of the year
java u is being brought to the UAE by the Dubai-based Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group LLC, which has interests in business systems, gift items, electronics, media and real estate.
Speaking at the launch of the Dubai outlet, Gary Hamady, the Group's Manager for Retail - Food & Beverages, said: 'java u has evolved into a chain that goes beyond food and coffee experience. Each java u outlet is a vibrant, upscale meeting spot, exuding a unique ambience. We are delighted to bring java u to Dubai to present an experience not duplicated anywhere else in this region.'
'The ingredients used at java u are fresh and all main menu items are prepared in-house according to java u standards. The Dubai outlet has been positioned as an upscale coffee shop with offerings of a full-service restaurant, with many dishes customized to suit local and regional culinary preferences,' added Hamady.
'With the launch of java u, Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group is also delighted to bring another new concept to the region -- a caf with an adjoining upmarket gift shop under the name 'chez u', offering an exquisite range of crystal gift items, dinner sets, cutlery, hand-painted tables and trays, etc. The entire range is from reputed brands like Heinrich Winterling, Andrea Fontebasso, Miller Rogaska and Pf4. Our plan is to re-brand The New Store retail outlets as Chez u.'
Mitchell Simon, Assistant Director, Operations, Java u, Canada, said Dubai shared a cosmopolitan ambience common to Montreal where java u originated a decade ago and has 16 outlets to date.
'java u is not just about food and coffee, it is about people and personality. We offer fresher and healthier alternatives to run of the mill coffee stores, and most of our dishes are prepared in-house with fresh ingredients,' said Simon. 'Another strong point is that each outlet reflects the ethos of the locality.'
Asked why java u took nearly ten years before venturing into overseas markets, Simon said: 'We did not want to expand until we had perfected our offering in the home market. Now we are ready to roll, with new stores planned for Jordan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bahrain and, of course, the UAE.'
Chef Christophe Vollard from Montreal, who is training the staff, said the menu for the Dubai outlet was planned keeping in mind the tastes of the people of the region. 'Our range of exotic drinks, especially the layered drinks, is very unique, and appreciated by our customers everywhere. We are committed to providing a very different dining experience to our customers in this market.'
Nizar Karim, General Operations Manager, Java u Dubai, commented: 'We have gone to great lengths to replicate the java u experience in Dubai. Factors like larger portions and extra sweetness in our drinks have been taken into consideration. Above all, freshness of ingredients and avoidance of artificial additives are what make java u stand out from other coffee outlets.'
Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group, which holds the java u franchise for UAE and Bahrain, also plans to bring java u's flourishing catering business to the region, as part of the next phase of the partnership. The concept of opening Chez-u stores adjoining java u outlets will also be extended to other locations.
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java u is being brought to the UAE by the Dubai-based Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group LLC, which has interests in business systems, gift items, electronics, media and real estate.
Speaking at the launch of the Dubai outlet, Gary Hamady, the Group's Manager for Retail - Food & Beverages, said: 'java u has evolved into a chain that goes beyond food and coffee experience. Each java u outlet is a vibrant, upscale meeting spot, exuding a unique ambience. We are delighted to bring java u to Dubai to present an experience not duplicated anywhere else in this region.'
'The ingredients used at java u are fresh and all main menu items are prepared in-house according to java u standards. The Dubai outlet has been positioned as an upscale coffee shop with offerings of a full-service restaurant, with many dishes customized to suit local and regional culinary preferences,' added Hamady.
'With the launch of java u, Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group is also delighted to bring another new concept to the region -- a caf with an adjoining upmarket gift shop under the name 'chez u', offering an exquisite range of crystal gift items, dinner sets, cutlery, hand-painted tables and trays, etc. The entire range is from reputed brands like Heinrich Winterling, Andrea Fontebasso, Miller Rogaska and Pf4. Our plan is to re-brand The New Store retail outlets as Chez u.'
Mitchell Simon, Assistant Director, Operations, Java u, Canada, said Dubai shared a cosmopolitan ambience common to Montreal where java u originated a decade ago and has 16 outlets to date.
'java u is not just about food and coffee, it is about people and personality. We offer fresher and healthier alternatives to run of the mill coffee stores, and most of our dishes are prepared in-house with fresh ingredients,' said Simon. 'Another strong point is that each outlet reflects the ethos of the locality.'
Asked why java u took nearly ten years before venturing into overseas markets, Simon said: 'We did not want to expand until we had perfected our offering in the home market. Now we are ready to roll, with new stores planned for Jordan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bahrain and, of course, the UAE.'
Chef Christophe Vollard from Montreal, who is training the staff, said the menu for the Dubai outlet was planned keeping in mind the tastes of the people of the region. 'Our range of exotic drinks, especially the layered drinks, is very unique, and appreciated by our customers everywhere. We are committed to providing a very different dining experience to our customers in this market.'
Nizar Karim, General Operations Manager, Java u Dubai, commented: 'We have gone to great lengths to replicate the java u experience in Dubai. Factors like larger portions and extra sweetness in our drinks have been taken into consideration. Above all, freshness of ingredients and avoidance of artificial additives are what make java u stand out from other coffee outlets.'
Mostafa Bin Abdullatif Group, which holds the java u franchise for UAE and Bahrain, also plans to bring java u's flourishing catering business to the region, as part of the next phase of the partnership. The concept of opening Chez-u stores adjoining java u outlets will also be extended to other locations.
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© Press Release 2007
