For years, Lebanese specialty coffee roaster Café Younes has been sourcing premium coffee beans from around the world and offering a multisensory coffee experience through its roasting methods and advanced coffee offering. Amin Younes, managing partner of Café Younes, discusses the latest coffee trends and the brand’s exciting expansion plans.
When it comes to coffee, how has consumer behavior changed post Covid-19?
The most noticeable post-Covid-19 trend is that customers have been replacing their office daily habits with working in coffee shops. They embraced this habit during the pandemic and realized it was very productive. After all, having your cup refilled every hour while finishing your tasks cannot be that bad!
How are coffee shops delivering the flavor and experience of coffee in different ways?
Nowadays, the most aggressive competitor for coffee shops is the home delivery craze that peaked during confinement. In order to regain the edge, coffee shop operators are developing creative coffee preparation methods that cannot be performed elsewhere while maintaining the same level of personal space that clients seek in the comfort of their homes.
What do you make of the current trend for custom-made coffee?
At Café Younes, we have always been fervent supporters of customization. We have created and retailed signature coffee blends based on the preference of our clients and introduced coffee beverages after several tastings with our regulars. I remember one of Café Younes’ first flavored beverages, an amaretto-flavored espresso, which saw the light in 1998 after many trials involving our guests.
Do you have any expansion plans?
Café Younes’ latest addition in Lebanon is in Batroun, where we have a lovely garden space which is part of Mayouli, a charming guesthouse. We expect to secure another location in Dubai for our Black Coffee by Café Younes concept. In addition, we are very excited about opening our first branch in Egypt in December. Stay tuned for further details!
About author
Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
