Coffee Planet invests US $2.7mn into expansion

UAE home-grown brand Coffee Planet has increased its roasting production capabilities with a US $2.7 million (AED10m) investment into the expansion of its roastery in Jebel Ali.

The roastery is now the largest in the UAE in terms of production output, with further plans to expand later into Q1 of 2016.

Set up in 2005 with one coffee machine and one box of cups in Adnoc petrol stations, Coffee Planet started roasting its own coffee locally in 2008. Now in its 10th year, the roastery has more than doubled in size from 6,000sq ft to 14,000sq ft, with the capacity to roast an outstanding 70-100 tonnes of coffee per month.

As a result of the success of its recently launched capsule range, tailored to both retail and foodservice markets earlier this year, the new roastery features a new production line, which produces 340 Nespresso compatible capsules a minute and approximately 47 million capsules a year, as well as a new pod machine, which produces 70 pods per minute and approximately 10 million pods a year in one shift.

Coffee Planet managing director Robert Jones said the expansion allows the company to take a step further towards globalising the brand.

“This new roastery shows our invested commitment in supporting and diversifying the UAE’s economy. Our roastery expansion will not only cater to our growth as we expand regionally through our franchises, but also allows us to take a step further in globalising our local brand.”

As a fully HACCP and UTZ certified facility, the roastery provides a premium coffee supply, not only to Coffee Planet’s own outlets, but also to its franchises, cafes and a number of restaurants, five star hotels and offices, as well as a variety of other businesses in the UAE, GCC and South East Asia.

Coffee Planet self-service units are located in all Adnoc, and selected Enoc and Eppco convenience stores across the UAE, as well as Shell and Oman Oil convenience stores in the Sultanate of Oman.