Why Is Bacha Coffee, Known for Its Most Expensive Coffee Beans, Entering China?

Singapore-based Bacha Coffee will expand internationally over the next three years and open physical stores in Beijing and Shanghai, executives said. Beijing gets a retail and takeaway outlet, while Shanghai will host a cafe with dine-in service plus retail. The brand aims to open stores next year, though no dates are confirmed. It already runs a Tmall flagship store in China.

Bacha traces its name to the Dar El Bacha palace in Marrakech, built in 1910 and reopened as a museum in 2017, where a cafe of that name was opened. The brand was later acquired by Singapore's V3 Group and relaunched in 2019 with its first Singapore store. It sells 100% arabica coffee with more than 200 selections; its most expensive coffee beans reach over 6,000 RMB per 100 grams, roughly three times Starbucks pricing.

Singapore luxury coffee brand Bacha Coffee recently announced that it will accelerate its international expansion over the next three years, with plans to open physical stores in Beijing and Shanghai. This brand, originating from Morocco with a century-long history, is hailed as the "Hermès of coffee" and is renowned for its 100% Arabica coffee beans and over 200 coffee selections. Its products are priced up to three times higher than Starbucks, with the most expensive coffee beans selling for over 6,000 RMB per 100 grams. The brand has already opened a Tmall flagship store in China and will officially launch physical stores next year.

According to the UK's Financial Times, senior executives of Singaporean coffee brand Bacha Coffee recently revealed that they will intensify international expansion efforts over the next three years and plan to open physical stores in China's first-tier cities, Beijing and Shanghai.

According to the executives, Bacha Coffee will establish a retail and takeaway store in Beijing, while in Shanghai it plans to open a café with dine-in service as well as a retail store.

Public records show that Bacha Coffee is part of V3 Gourmet, a company under Singapore's large investment group V3 Group. The brand has not yet announced the specific opening dates for its China stores, but Taha Bouqdib, CEO and President of V3 Gourmet, said in an interview: "Next year, we will definitely open stores."

According to the brand's official introduction, Bacha originated in Morocco and has a history of over a century. It was inspired by the Dar El Bacha palace built in 1910, located in Marrakech, which was once the residence of the local governor. The palace was closed after World War II and only reopened to the public as a museum in 2017.

In the same year, Moroccan King Mohammed VI invited Moroccan-born Frenchman Taha Bouqdib (co-founder of TWG) to open a café inside the museum, named Bacha.

During World War II, the café was destroyed along with the museum. Afterwards, the Bacha brand was acquired by Singapore's V3 Group and rebranded as "a Singaporean coffee brand from Marrakech."

In 2019, Bacha Coffee opened its first store in Singapore, which was also its first branch outside Marrakech.

It is reported that Bacha Coffee is deeply loved by local consumers in Singapore, with stores widely distributed across the city, including a location at Changi Airport.

Chinese consumers may be less familiar with the name Bacha Coffee, but it is more widely known in China as a "must-buy souvenir from Singapore" and is even called the "Hermès of coffee" on social media.

According to the official website, Bacha Coffee uses 100% Arabica coffee beans, sourcing beans from 55 regions worldwide and offering consumers as many as 200 coffee choices, with rich flavors and unique taste profiles.

Of course, Bacha Coffee's prices are not budget-friendly, with products selling for up to three times the price of Starbucks. At its Singapore stores, a box of drip bag coffee can cost as much as 150 RMB.

It is understood that among the coffee beans currently sold by Bacha Coffee, the most expensive is the Paraiso Gold from Brazil, priced at 1,100 Singapore dollars per 100 grams, equivalent to 6,000 RMB or more.

In addition to providing high-quality coffee products, Bacha Coffee also focuses on customer experience in its service, from exquisite packaging to professional coffee introductions, striving to let consumers feel the brand's dedication.

Furthermore, Bacha Coffee's store decor retains a distinct Moroccan style, with orange and yellow as the main color tones, blending classical and modern elements, with a style that is opulent and refined without being flashy, creating a luxurious yet comfortable dining environment.

Currently, Bacha Coffee has not yet opened physical stores in mainland China, but it has opened official accounts on platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Weibo, and has a Tmall flagship store where consumers can purchase its products online.

"We found that Chinese consumers' demand for coffee gifts is surprisingly large. Next year, we will definitely open stores!" said Bouqdib.

Photo source: Bacha Coffee

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.