Many coffee and tea shops in Doha have reported an increase in business coinciding with the onset of colder weather over the past two weeks.

"We are expecting a surge in our revenues this month, higher than what we got during the same period last year," the manager said.

Since winter is the peak season for coffee and tea shops, he hopes the 'trend' will continue in the next couple of months before the weather gets warm.

"Competition is also very high because a lot of coffee shops have opened, especially franchises of popular global chains," he observed adding that they are also planning to open new outlets in another mall.

While Doha is a small city, he reiterated that location is key to attract more customers. "Even if you have the best product and services, people will always prefer a place that is strategic, suitable and accessible," he added.

But for those operating in malls, he explained that such outlets have a captive market but have high overhead expenses, especially in rentals besides operational cost.

Smaller shops in Doha, which sells cheaper tea, karak and coffee, are also reaping the benefits of the cold spell.

Construction and labour workers were seen queuing in many outlets, which charge QR2 for every cup, while price of a regular cup of coffee or tea usually ranges between QR10 and QR20 in popular and leading shops.

The karak outlet at Katara – the Cultural Village is a big hit among most visitors and residents in Doha. It charges QR5 for a cup of ginger karak. [Gulf Times]

Photo Credit: Zeena Kanaan