Green Beans Coffee may enter Indian by next year- CEO

Green Beans Coffee Company was founded in 1996, by Jason and Jon Araghi, two Americans living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who saw the opportunity to introduce gourmet coffee in the country and fill the void in an underserved market. The first Green Beans Coffee Cafe on a US Army base opened the following year in Eskan Village, in Al-Kharj Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And, today the brand is present in about 10 countries, eyeing Indian market as their next market for unlocking the business opportunities.

Why India so late?

We see that there is greater opportunity in India today with large middle class and higher disposable income. And, I believe it would be a great time for us to enter the Indian market and create a footprint in the country as the customers today are much more evolved than few years back.

Why are global coffee chains so hungry about Indian market?

Globally, the coffee culture has grown in a tremendous way. Today, people have money to spend out, they want to spend time with their family, go out with their friends and as we are seeing that the cafes are growing in the US, the Europe and the Arabs. So, we want to create the same environment for people to enjoy their day in a country like India

When can we see you entering into the Indian market?

Initially, our plan is to identify a master franchisee in the country, and from there we will expand. We are looking for a franchisee that are more aggressive to grow a brand, have enough money to spend and drives a passion that can invent a new brand into a country and then grow it.

How long has been the Green Beans Coffee in the business?

Green Beans Coffee has been in the business for almost 20 years spread in around 10 countries and today, as we are very much friendly with the international business and are familiar with the supply chain, our next area for growth would be India.

What is the differentiated experience that you are planning to bring to India?

Every brand has to create a differentiate experience which makes it different from its competitors. We do not want to be as strive for the leadership amalgamation of a coffee company as like Costa Coffee, Starbucks or CCD, but it has to be different. The product are different, it is fresh baked and wide selection of food offerings that we do, the super premium quality and most importantly the correct prepositions for the country. Our key is the quality product along with the experience that the customers get in our cafes in other country.

By when can we expect the brand to enter India?

If everything goes well, we may brought the brand to India by next year targeting at cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Punjab which is emerging as a high disposable income market.  And, we believe that each region could have 100-120 stores.