Ernani Coffee has landed in Saudi Arabia, with a partnership established in 2022.
Thanks to this new collaboration, it was possible to visit Riyadh, the state capital, and better understand the local customs and traditions, especially regarding the loving steaming cup.
Here’s what we found out!
In mid-October, Claudia, the Sole Administrator of Ernani, and I, Martina, the Marketing Manager and industry trainer, had the great opportunity to visit the capital, hosted by our local Distributors, doing both cultural tours, but especially tours of the cafes in the immense city.
The differences with Italy are many and substantial, many of them due precisely to their culture.
Saudi habits regarding coffee
1.
Arabs don’t work in the restaurant industry
This is a very strange thing, used to Italy where over the years more and more people have decided to work and invest in the restaurant industry.
Arabs, on the other hand, do not work behind the counter, or at least very few take this route.
For the most part, this role has been taken over by large-scale immigration, from a variety of countries, first and foremost Italy, followed by the Philippines, Bangladesh, India and possibly other Asian states.
This happens for a variety of reasons. In Saudi Arabia there is no sort of “Hotelier” that prepares future workers in the sector. That is why they prefer to focus more on the administration, investment and business management part of the business, hiring foreign, trained and specialized figures for operational work.
For them, quality is paramount, so they choose the best figures in the area who can perform at high levels.
Moreover, this leads to a very peculiar result: in cafeterias, but also in catering in general, Arabic is not spoken, but English. Everyone is thus enticed to study it, becoming the common language of a multicultural city.
2.
Saudis love to follow new trends
This to me is a pro and a con at the same time.
They are really attracted to anything new and trendy. In fact, they explained to us that a new coffee shop, if it is really quality, modern, and trendy, can become famous even in a single week and be literally overflowing with customers.
But this is difficult to maintain in the long run, since if the new thing comes along, customers will move en masse to the new spot.
However, it is also true that new generations, particularly GEN Z, become more attached to the values of a brand or locale, thus remaining more loyal in the long run.
3.
Saudis love coffee more than anything else and appreciate it in all its forms
Coffee is an integral and very important part of their culture. It punctuates the days, sociality, family relationships, and no less work.
That’s why they appreciate it in all its forms: from espresso, to filter, hot or cold, sitting at the table, fast at the counter, or take away, alone or with other ingredients.
They have an open mind, try everything and are always looking for a new taste with novel flavor notes. They do not stop at beliefs or false myths, they do not just repeat what their grandparents or parents taught them, but ask, inquire and listen. They always want to know more!
4.
The Saudis are admirers of extremely high-quality coffee
Referring to the previous point, actually something is not appreciated by them either: low quality coffee. In fact robusta or blends of arabica and robusta together are practically absent, and let’s not talk about badly roasted coffees or at a dark level, they are nonexistent all over the place!
If you don’t work with extreme quality in Saudi Arabia, you will never be successful.
5.
Cafeterias are very different environments from our Italian
We are used to Italian or, if you will, European-style coffee shops. Generally medium-small rooms, with a counter for quick counter service and if we are lucky, a few small tables for slower, more dedicated service. The decor at times is well thought out, at others really very old, and at others super cheap.
In Riyadh it is quite the opposite!
Cafeterias are large and spacious establishments as the hub of the village’s social life.
They are modern, new, elegant, with a well-thought-out décor and concept that communicates the venue’s mold and values. They are clean, uncluttered environments where you can breathe care and quality from everywhere!
They also don’t just serve coffee, but give you an experience by creating many different environments, each dedicated to a different purpose.
6.
Investment on equipment, even at home, is really high
This is also reflected in the quality of the equipment selected for one’s venue.
I have seen even absurd situations from an Italian’s point of view, such as a place that even had four espresso machines, from one of the world’s leading brands, each for a different purpose, like:
- Single-origin extraction
- Extraction of mixtures
- Creating drinks with milk
- And one available for customers to try some of the coffees on sale before purchase
If we think that in Italy the bartender does not even buy the equipment, but gets it on loan from the roaster, it really seems to be in another world.
The same goes for everything, of course: coffee shops have various automatic filter machines, espresso machines, coffee grinders of all kinds, automatic and manual milk frothers, coffee tappers, gadgets, and so much more. They look like a playground for coffee lovers!
And at home they are no less.
7.
In the evening we go to the cafeteria
In the minds of us Italians, one notion is very clear: in the daytime you go to the coffee shop, in the evening you go to the bar. In the daytime you drink an espresso, in the evening you drink a glass of wine.
However, since alcohol consumption is forbidden in Saudi Arabia, for them, coffee also plays the role of evening socialization: when going out in the evening with friends, they go for coffee; when you are a guest for dinner, you never show up empty-handed, but with a carton of about two liters of coffee; after finishing dinner at a restaurant, to continue the evening, they always go to a coffee shop!
8.
There are coffee cartons and tappers.
As I anticipated in previous points, it is rude to show up at someone’s home empty-handed, so they generally opt to bring gifts such as coffee and pastries. Coffee shops have therefore created these refillable “cartons” with customers’ favorite coffee.
These are also great to bring to the office for all your colleagues or at home to always have a ready supply of extracted coffee.
They also have hot or cold filter coffee tappers for quick service. If, for example, a person is in a hurry and does not have time to stand in the checkout line or wait for their turn at the counter, they can walk into the cafeteria, serve themselves by pouring coffee from the keg into their glasses, and pay with a card independently and quickly!
9.
They hate bitter coffees
Being appreciators of quality coffee, Saudis love fragrant, intensely aromatic, sweet and sour coffees, but absolutely hate bitter coffees!
10.
Coffee is not considered a commodity
All of the above leads to a really interesting result: coffee is not considered a commodity.
To them, coffee is not that “cheap” and “cheap” thing that has to be almost given away, swallowed in a hurry for a little caffeine and then rushed away.
For them, coffee is everything and therefore takes on great value.
Espresso has an average price between € 5.00 and € 9.00, the filter, if of really fine Specialty, can go as high as € 18.00 per cup. are then able to buy for home even very fine coffees, such as Cups of Excellence, if they cost up to € 100.00 for a 100g packet.
And no, these prices do not depend only on the ratio of salaries to the cost of living, because in some cases they are in rosier situations than the Italian average, but just as many workers are in worse situations than our national one.
It all depends on the value attributed!
We Italians generally place a higher value on, for example, a good gin and tonic, which if performed well and with a level gin we get to spend € 15.00 / € 20.00. For an aperitif or an excellent wine we spend even more!
Here for them, having no change, coffee takes on immeasurable value, recognized in a fair price to pay, as much as we spend on other types of products.
It’s all about culture!
Marketing, E-commerce e Social Media Manager
Coffee Lover
