Cafè Barbera to expand in Ras al Khaimah

The Northern Border has signed an agreement with Italian coffee house Cafe Barbera announcing its expansion to Ras Al Khaimah.

Focusing on bringing world-class brands into emirate, managing director Thomas Eliopoulos says that The Northern Border chose Café Barbera, the world’s oldest Italian coffee company, as the first brand for its expansion into Ras Al Khaimah.

Sharing his enthusiasm for the partnership, Elio Barbera, sixth generation member of the Barbera family and managing director of Café Barbera, says: “We are thrilled to bring the Café Barbera experience to Ras Al Khaimah, blending our rich 150 years old Italian coffee heritage with the vibrant culture of this dynamic Emirate. This expansion reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional quality and creating welcoming spaces for coffee lovers around the world.”

With a legacy dating back to 1870 and over 20 years of presence in the UAE, Café Barbera’s strong brand recognition across the MENA region made it a strategic choice. Currently operating in over 70 countries, Eliopoulos says: “As a global brand that customers know and trust, Café Barbera’s high-end coffee experience was a natural fit for Ras Al Khaimah now. The company is also very collaborative with its area franchisees and is a pleasure to work with as a partner.”

Ras Al Khaimah is experiencing rapid development, highlighted by major projects such as the Wynn Casino. While this growth presents opportunities to attract tourists, The Northern Border’s initial focus is on the local community. “We are planning to open Café Barbera locations in these high-tourism areas but are currently prioritising serving the local market with our first locations,” Eliopoulos adds.

The company has ambitious plans for sustainable development in the region, with a goal to open 10 Café Barbera outlets in Ras Al Khaimah over the next decade. This growth strategy is closely tied to the Emirate’s evolving retail landscape, ensuring that expansion matches local demand and infrastructure development.

Differentiating itself from regional competitors, Eliopoulos says The Northern Border has adopted a hyper-focused approach by exclusively operating in Ras Al Khaimah and will only maintain retail operations in the emirate. “We are also building on the new construction partnerships developing in RAK to offer a fresh perspective to some legacy multi-brand operators, which is a competitive advantage. In this way we can provide value to additional franchisors that are seeking a more sophisticated, tailored retail strategy for RAK,” he adds.

Beyond commercial objectives, The Northern Border views its role as a contributor to Ras Al Khaimah’s economic and social development. “As a global brand we believe that Café Barbera has the potential as a market maker to transform local retail corridors and we want to support this network effect to benefit both the local and tourist populations in the emirate,” says Eliopoulos.