Cold spell heats the sale up for coffee

A vendor delivering to a motorist a cup of coffee from an outlet beside Doha Corniche. PICTURE: Najeer Feroke

By Joey Aguilar/Staff ReporterMany coffee and tea shops in Doha have reported an increase in business coinciding with the onset of colder weather over the past two weeks.“We normally expect many people during weekends but the cold spell seems to be the factor behind the almost 100% increase of coffee and tea lovers even on week days,” a supervisor of a popular coffee shop in one of the malls told Gulf Times.One coffee shop along C Ring road, a favourite of many Asian expatriates, especially Filipinos, draws many employees from various companies in Doha."We are expecting a surge in our revenues this month, higher than what we got during the same period last year," the manager said.Since winter is the peak season for coffee and tea shops, he hopes the ‘trend’ will continue in the next couple of months before the weather gets warm.“Competition is also very high because a lot of coffee shops have opened, especially franchises of popular global chains," he observed adding that they are also planning to open new outlets in another mall. “But, we are doing well despite the challenges.”While Doha is a small city, he reiterated that location is key to attract more customers. “Even if you have the best product and services, people will always prefer a place that is strategic, suitable and accessible,” he added.But for those operating in malls, he explained that such outlets have a captive market but have high overhead expenses, especially in rentals besides operational cost.Smaller shops in Doha, which sells cheaper tea, karak and coffee, are also reaping the benefits of the cold spell. Construction and labour workers were seen queuing in many outlets, which charge QR2 for every cup, while price of a regular cup of coffee or tea usually ranges between QR10 and QR20 in popular and leading shops.The karak outlet at Katara – the Cultural Village is a big hit among most visitors and residents in Doha. It charges QR5 for a cup of ginger karak.Many restaurants have also recorded an increased in the number of customers during the weekend, according to a manager.“Expatriate workers would normally take their meals (lunch or dinner) before going for a coffee break to chat with colleagues of friends,” he added.