Brewing Bigger: Meet Mohammed Al Zain ,CEO of the Largest Home Grown Coffee Empire in the Arab world
Mohammed Al Zain CEO, Barns Café (Al Amjaad Group),Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Jeddah based Al-Amjaad Group is renowned for its successful coffee business, barn's, which was established in 1992 as a homegrown specialty coffee brand. With a progressive company culture, barn's has become the largest and one of the oldest coffee shop businesses in Saudi Arabia. Al-Amjaad has adopted a franchising model to expand the reach of barn's while maintaining full ownership of approximately 30 percent of its branches. This strategy has proven effective, with the number of barn's branches growing from around 130 in 2018 to over 550 today, including more than 150 fully owned by Al-Amjaad.
As the CEO of Barns coffee , Al Zain’s remarkable achievements and contributions to Al Amjaad Group can be attributed to his unwavering determination, inquisitive mindset, and exceptional ability to drive tangible results. These qualities have positioned him as an ideal leader who guides and inspires the organization towards continued success.
Mohamed Al Zain CEO of Barns café, said: “It’s an exhilarating time to be the coffee shop leader in Saudi Arabia and we dedicate this our loyal customers .We’re proud of our 30-year legacy in Saudi Arabia and are energized by the opportunity to bring the Barns experience to new customers worldwide in the future by opening more outlets through franchising route with the aim of achieving 1000 outlets globally by 2030.
Mohammed Al Zain, the CEO of Al-Amjaad, stresses the importance of conducting comprehensive market studies, including assessing the size and share of the market in Saudi Arabia, prior to pursuing expansion endeavors. This unwavering dedication to making informed decisions has been instrumental in driving the company's ongoing accomplishments.
Under his Leadership barns coffee is planning to focus on drive-thru stores and smaller format sites, with initial international expansion likely to target fellow Middle East ,European, Asian and North African markets.
To stay relevant in the market and cater to evolving demand, Al-Amjaad Group embraces continuous improvement and innovation. Since 2018, the company has successfully made several alterations to strengthen barn's brand identity and resonate with customers. Notably, there was a significant rebranding from "Barn Café" to “barn's”, featuring a lowercase "b" in the logo to appeal to the youth market. Another accomplishment attributed to Eng. Al Zain is the diversification of barn's shop categories, targeting various market segments. Initially operating as drive-thru coffee outlets, barn's expanded its offerings by introducing a premium line with dedicated seating areas in early 2021. As a result of this expansion, the company has successfully established 40 coffee shops so far, each equipped with inviting seating areas. Additionally, barn's X, an elite brand catering to different customer segments, was launched in 2020 and expanded to 4 branches as of today.
Each cup has a story and so does Barn’s. Since 1992. Standing through thick and thin, we witnessed the progressive era within the Kingdom and marked our presence as the first coffee shop drive thru and one of the first local coffee brands.
With every cup, the serving has been made deliciously lovable for you. Through constantly exploring the market and investing time in our products range, a worthy cup is all that our eyes are set on.
“The love for coffee is mutual. With almost twenty million annual visitors to the Makkah region to complete their Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj, our brand is privileged to build connections with people from all around with the help of its strategic location. Millions of customers become the part of our ecstatic experience as we serve them one of the most memorable cup of coffee found across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” Added Zain.
A cup that is topped off with perfectly roasted joy and that is bound to brighten your day with that first sip.The diverse range of products, more than two hundred coffee shops in multiple cities and a drive to expand aggressively, keeps us awake to spread the undying love coffee brings.
From roasted coffee beans to a hot cup, from bakery savories to a range of customizable beverage options, at Barn’s, we are spreading a unique coffee experience with our local storefronts. Our coffee machines are state of the art, demonstrating barista experience that is unparalleled.
With a remarkable track record of success in business strategy and execution, Mohammed Al Zain takes pride in his legacy. Over the past few years, he has demonstrated his visionary and innovative leadership, as the head of Al-Amjaad. Through his unwavering loyalty to the company and its customers, both parties have benefited greatly. Eng. Al Zain acknowledges the pivotal role played by the Board of Directors and the exceptional team in achieving these accomplishments, stating: "Without their support and confidence, none of these achievements would have been possible."
Barns X
Barns, a destination for authentic and premium coffee since 1992, has opened its first branch for specialized coffee called BARNSX in Al-Zahra district, Jeddah. The branch has been created with a tailored ambience and claims to offer its guests a “unique and immersive” sit-in experience.
“True to the tradition of esteemed hospitality, friendly staff trained to the highest level of service deliver the elite level of unforgettable experience customers have come to expect from the coffee house,” the statement said.
In addition to the portfolio of exquisite coffees, sourced green coffee beans selected from the finest coffee fields across different regions, including Gotiti and Hampella in Ethiopia, and Antioquia in Colombia, create new and unique concoctions.
“The passion for genuine hospitality and creativity has resulted in a continuous expansion of Barn’s Café offering its guests the new sit-in experience at Barn’s X with innovative concepts and designs for an exceptional specialized coffee experience.”From Barnie’s to Barncafe to Barn’s X, the café has become synonymous with authentic coffee flavors in the Arab world.
Developing a sustainable coffee corporation:
One of the objectives of the International Coffee Agreement 2007 is to encourage Members to develop a sustainable coffee sector in economic, social and environmental terms. This is reinforced by Article 36, which refers to the principles and objectives on sustainable development contained in Agenda 21 adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and those adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. “Barns Café is working to promote an awareness of the need for a sustainable coffee economy by making stakeholders in the coffee sector aware of the threat to sustainability posed by negative economic conditions for producers, and proposing measures in areas such as quality, promotion and diversification to maintain balance in the world coffee market”. Said Mohamed Al Zain
Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing coffee markets in the Middle East, with research indicating that local coffee consumption has steadily grown by almost four percent each year since 2016.
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