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Fuel Espresso, a coffee shop brand from New Zealand, opened its first luxury coffee bar at IFC Mall, Central, today (December 19).
Fuel Espresso is well known for its unique coffee drinks with blends designed in Trieste, Italy, the world's espresso capital. Fine green beans are sourced from coffee plantations across the world and roasted in Wellington, New Zealand, by a team of trained coffee roasters.
Fuel Espresso targets coffee lovers who value product quality and fashionable Italian style. At the newly-opened bar, customers may sip a cup of Northern Italian espresso, while enjoying some homemade food and great jazz in a pleasant setting.
Mr Sanjay Ponnapa, the founder, is a descendent of several generations of coffee planters in India. He said, "We are dedicated to building the world's most beautiful espresso bars. We aim to link espresso lovers of the world via our coffee bars in all of the great cities."
Since its first bar opened in Wellington in 1996, Fuel Espresso has expanded with eight more in New Zealand. The new bar in Hong Kong is the brand's first overseas outlet.
Commenting on why Fuel Espresso decided on Hong Kong to establish its first overseas presence, Mr Ponnapa said, "We chose Hong Kong as the initial market for our Asian-wide expansion strategy, because of its cosmopolitan food culture, proximity to Mainland China and its growing role as the trendsetter in the Asia Pacific region. Success here means success in other Asian markets."
Mr Simon Galpin, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, participated in today's opening celebration. He said, "We are delighted that Fuel Espresso has chosen Hong Kong as the first destination of its Asian expansion strategy. Hong Kong is a fast-paced city and people here appreciate the opportunity to take time to enjoy a good cup of coffee. Our city offers a large potential market for companies like Fuel Espresso, as well as serving as a springboard for them to look for business opportunities in Mainland China. I wish Fuel Espresso every success and look forward to working together in its future expansion."
Fuel Espresso is a coffee shop brand from New Zealand. Its luxury coffee bars serve coffee drinks in Northern Italian style and homemade food. At present, the company operates nine coffee bars in New Zealand. It has recently opened its first overseas outlet in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.fuelespresso.com.
InvestHK is the award-winning department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting and facilitating inward investment into the city, by providing free services and support to help overseas and Mainland companies establish or expand their business presence in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.InvestHK.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, December 19, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:01
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