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Kevin Katz (Supplied)
Cape Town - Kevin Katz, an entrepreneur from Cape Town, saw a niche trend in the market for locally roasted, artisanal coffee that could afford consumers wider choice, increased convenience and lower costs.
His Caffé Luxe sources fine coffees from around the world. They are then blended and roasted in Cape Town.
Caffé Luxe is also exporting to countries like Australia, Singapore, America, United Kingdom, Russia, Ghana, Korea, Hong Kong and Korea.
Fin24 asked him about his journey as an entrepreneur.
How and when was Caffé Luxe started?
The Caffé Luxe journey began in late 2009, when we started developing our capsule system. The brand Caffé Luxe was officially launched in early 2012.
I saw a niche in the market for locally roasted, artisanal coffee that could afford consumers wider choice, increased convenience and lower costs.
Thus, the Three C’s of Choice, Cost and Convenience became the key tenets of the Caffé Luxe brand.
We are at the forefront of the South African coffee revolution. We are able to provide an affordable machine, frother and coffee capsules and accessories.
A barista-quality cup of coffee can be created in the comfort of your home or office, in a mere 18 seconds.
We launched with an initial five varieties of coffee and now we are nearing thirty.
Tell us more about your journey as an entrepreneur.
The global coffee culture is growing every day and I noticed that the coffee culture in Cape Town was really taking off.
However, there was a niche in the market for a cost effective, simple coffee solution, which could afford customers the ability to be their own barista and have premium coffee available at home.
We felt that we could provide something extra and add to what was already on offer.
Caffé Luxe realised that the customer needed a more convenient solution to obtain their coffee capsules.
Our manufacturing and distribution strategies make it possible for everyone to enjoy premium cappuccinos, lattes and espressos in their homes.
What we offer is great accessibility, choice and cost savings. Caffé Luxe capsules can be purchased in over 700 retailers as well as a variety of boutique stores and delis.
Anywhere you can buy instant coffee, you can now buy single-serve premium, rich, bespoke coffee.
We also have a flagship showroom in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, where coffee lovers are welcome to come in to try and purchase one of our blends at our espresso bar.
Visitors can get expert advice and guidance from the Caffé Luxe team when selecting blends, machines and milk frothers or a range of accessories.
Any tips for other entrepreneurs?
Success is all about perseverance, determination and belief in your product.
One of the foundations of Caffé Luxe’s success was realising the vital importance of accessibility and convenience, without compromising quality or increasing costs.
In the example of Caffé Luxe, this gives a unique offering that speaks to the needs of consumers and respects their need for convenience.
Remember that success hinges entirely on your consumer.
Pay close attention to the needs and wants of the consumer, and give them the quality and convenience they deserve.
We gave our consumers the complete coffee solution, because we recognised their need for excellent coffee and convenience.
Tell us more about your export success.
We export 90% of our capacity internationally, including as far as The United States, Europe and Asia.
We are provide the full artisan coffee solution – with machines, frothers, capsules and accessories.
We are constantly innovating.
Our African Collection, for instance, features five new espresso capsules of single-source coffee, sourced from Africa.
We have brought out blends with Caturra, vida è caffe, House of Coffees, Avanti, Giovanni’s and Euro Café, to mention a few.
This means we have partnered with South Africa’s leading coffee roasters, who are excited to get on-board with what we have to offer the coffee lovers of South Africa.
The ease of use and wide availability of Caffé Luxe is changing perceptions of artisanal coffee.
Caffé Luxe proves that premium coffee is not just for coffee shops and baristas, but for everyone.
This on-the-ground accessibility has been our key calling-card for sparking the coffee revolution.
- Fin24
* Share your experience of setting up a business or simply ask a question. Our business panel can put you on the right path.
His Caffé Luxe sources fine coffees from around the world. They are then blended and roasted in Cape Town.
Caffé Luxe is also exporting to countries like Australia, Singapore, America, United Kingdom, Russia, Ghana, Korea, Hong Kong and Korea.
Fin24 asked him about his journey as an entrepreneur.
How and when was Caffé Luxe started?
The Caffé Luxe journey began in late 2009, when we started developing our capsule system. The brand Caffé Luxe was officially launched in early 2012.
I saw a niche in the market for locally roasted, artisanal coffee that could afford consumers wider choice, increased convenience and lower costs.
Thus, the Three C’s of Choice, Cost and Convenience became the key tenets of the Caffé Luxe brand.
We are at the forefront of the South African coffee revolution. We are able to provide an affordable machine, frother and coffee capsules and accessories.
A barista-quality cup of coffee can be created in the comfort of your home or office, in a mere 18 seconds.
We launched with an initial five varieties of coffee and now we are nearing thirty.
Tell us more about your journey as an entrepreneur.
The global coffee culture is growing every day and I noticed that the coffee culture in Cape Town was really taking off.
However, there was a niche in the market for a cost effective, simple coffee solution, which could afford customers the ability to be their own barista and have premium coffee available at home.
We felt that we could provide something extra and add to what was already on offer.
Caffé Luxe realised that the customer needed a more convenient solution to obtain their coffee capsules.
Our manufacturing and distribution strategies make it possible for everyone to enjoy premium cappuccinos, lattes and espressos in their homes.
What we offer is great accessibility, choice and cost savings. Caffé Luxe capsules can be purchased in over 700 retailers as well as a variety of boutique stores and delis.
Anywhere you can buy instant coffee, you can now buy single-serve premium, rich, bespoke coffee.
We also have a flagship showroom in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, where coffee lovers are welcome to come in to try and purchase one of our blends at our espresso bar.
Visitors can get expert advice and guidance from the Caffé Luxe team when selecting blends, machines and milk frothers or a range of accessories.
Any tips for other entrepreneurs?
Success is all about perseverance, determination and belief in your product.
One of the foundations of Caffé Luxe’s success was realising the vital importance of accessibility and convenience, without compromising quality or increasing costs.
In the example of Caffé Luxe, this gives a unique offering that speaks to the needs of consumers and respects their need for convenience.
Remember that success hinges entirely on your consumer.
Pay close attention to the needs and wants of the consumer, and give them the quality and convenience they deserve.
We gave our consumers the complete coffee solution, because we recognised their need for excellent coffee and convenience.
Tell us more about your export success.
We export 90% of our capacity internationally, including as far as The United States, Europe and Asia.
We are provide the full artisan coffee solution – with machines, frothers, capsules and accessories.
We are constantly innovating.
Our African Collection, for instance, features five new espresso capsules of single-source coffee, sourced from Africa.
We have brought out blends with Caturra, vida è caffe, House of Coffees, Avanti, Giovanni’s and Euro Café, to mention a few.
This means we have partnered with South Africa’s leading coffee roasters, who are excited to get on-board with what we have to offer the coffee lovers of South Africa.
The ease of use and wide availability of Caffé Luxe is changing perceptions of artisanal coffee.
Caffé Luxe proves that premium coffee is not just for coffee shops and baristas, but for everyone.
This on-the-ground accessibility has been our key calling-card for sparking the coffee revolution.
- Fin24
* Share your experience of setting up a business or simply ask a question. Our business panel can put you on the right path.
