By The Malketeer
When a homegrown brand starts plotting its first moves into North Africa and South Asia, it’s no longer a “local chain” story — it’s a case study in ambition.
Zus Coffee, Malaysia’s fastest-growing coffee chain, is doing exactly that.
Co-founder and COO Venon Tian has confirmed plans to open in Pakistan and Morocco by the first half of 2026, with Pakistan launching through a local master franchise and Morocco slated for Q1 or Q2.
That’s a significant leap.
Pakistan offers a massive, youthful population with rising café culture, while Morocco sits at the crossroads of Europe and Africa with an increasingly aspirational middle class.
Both are markets where global chains like Starbucks are still premium and relatively scarce, creating a window for a mid-priced disruptor.
Scaling at Home, Seeding Abroad
Zus Coffee isn’t neglecting its home turf.
Tian says the chain will expand to 850 outlets across Malaysia and grow its Philippines network to 190–200 stores, alongside 20 in Thailand.
Indonesia — arguably the region’s most competitive coffee market — is also on the radar with a first outlet opening early next year.
Add it up, and the brand expects to surpass the 1,000-store mark by end-2025.
That scale, achieved in under a decade, puts Zus Coffee in a unique position: the ability to experiment with international formats without losing momentum at home.
The Brand Playbook: Affordable Specialty
What’s driving the growth?
Zus Coffee has nailed a positioning sweet spot — “affordable specialty.”
It blends the aspirational look and feel of third-wave cafés with price points that undercut global competitors.
Malaysian drinkers have embraced it as a “smart switch” from pricier chains, creating the kind of brand intimacy multinationals struggle to replicate.
If Zus can transplant that formula to Karachi or Casablanca — adapting menus to local palates, sourcing beans sustainably, and building strong franchise partnerships — it could become one of the first truly Malaysian F&B brands with global resonance.
Listing Can Wait
When asked about a potential IPO, Tian’s response was telling: “Business first rather than a corporate exercise pathway.”
In other words, the focus remains on operations, not financial engineering.
For investors and marketers alike, that’s a sign of a founder-driven brand still in “builder” mode rather than “cash-out” mode.
Policy Hopes: Empower the Coffee Ecosystem
Interestingly, Tian also used the occasion to nudge policymakers ahead of Budget 2026.
He hopes for more benefits and incentives for Malaysian entrepreneurs and, specifically, initiatives to empower local coffee farmers and traders — a move that could strengthen the entire supply chain.
For marketers, this signals another dimension of the brand’s narrative: not just expansion and affordability, but a stake in developing a Malaysian coffee ecosystem with global standards.
Lessons for Marketers
The Bigger Picture
If Zus Coffee succeeds in Pakistan and Morocco, it could open the door for other Malaysian F&B brands to export their concepts globally.
For a local chain to leapfrog into North Africa before many Western players have even entered shows a boldness the industry has been waiting to see.
Malaysian marketers and entrepreneurs would do well to watch closely. Zus Coffee isn’t just brewing lattes — it’s brewing a new playbook for how a homegrown brand can go global on its own terms.
Share Post:
Haven’t subscribed to our Telegram channel yet? Don’t miss out on the hottest updates in marketing & advertising!
