Kauai opens in Dubai

It has taken a big step in expanding its offering to the international market but has not changed its image and menu; 98% of the menu will remain the same as the local offering, with slight adjustments being made to include the country-specific cuisine to suit the local palate.

"This is a great achievement; most of the world's top brands have presence in Dubai and have been very well received. We aim to be a world-class brand globally and this is just the first step in doing so. The property developers with whom we opened our first store receive roughly 1500 applications a month from all over the world, so we are proud that our brand credentials resulted in our proposal being accepted," says Kauai chief global development officer, Geli Briolas.

"We are excited about the fact that our brand will be exposed to the high standards expected in the new market and that we have this opportunity to showcase and prove our concept to the rest of the world.

"Being healthy has become a global trend and we would like to share our message and health experience with the rest of the world. To achieve the results we were looking for, we appointed a team that has presence and knows the UAE market well. We are confident that the team will do justice to the brand across the Middle East. The group has a well-structured organisation across the region, with excellent expertise pertaining specifically to the food and beverage industry," concludes Briolas.

Alisha Moopen, Kauai franchisee, director of strategy at DM Healthcare Group, says, "The team here believes that we have done well to date and we realise that the real challenge begins now to prove and show the world the wonderful brand experience. I would like to thank the entire team in South Africa that has so kindly handheld this project from the beginning stages to the finish, to ensure that we do complete justice to the brand."

Expansion plans

Three friends who wanted to share a tastier, healthier way of life with the world by incorporating elements of an island lifestyle started the successful Kauai business on the Hawaiian Islands. The first Kauai store opened in Cape Town in 1996. From 2001, when it had five stores, the brand has grown to more than 130 stores nationwide. It is now one of South Africa's number one healthy food brands and, still inspired by its island heritage, offers a wide range of smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, wraps, salads and sandwiches on the go.

It plans to expand further into India, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and possibly Germany. It will also be opening a store in Namibia later this year, forming part of another African footprint for the brand.