Special Features
ICONS Coffee Couture opens in Dubai
The newly opened Lifestyle Coffee Shop ’ICONS Coffee Couture’ at Souk Al Bahar, Dubai is all set to change the way we think about our diet and daily caffeine fix by blending high fashion, healthy living and philanthropy into a unique brand. An international model, a celebrity pastry chef and a passion for healthy living may seem an odd combination for a culinary business venture, but then, ICONS Coffee Couture is not your regular café chain. The brainchild of German model Elena Weber, ICONS is launched to fill a gap in the regional multimillion-dollar coffee market with a new healthier approach to satisfying consumers’ daily caffeine habits but with a difference.ICONS Coffee Couture’s point of difference - and the success factor - lies in its 100% organic coffee and tea menu, nutritious food options and the use of Stevia, world’ first natural zero calorie sweetener and its fashionable outlook! After thoroughly researching the market and looking at each and every health secret and diets while using this knowledge to combine the best ingredients and micro nutrition-rich super foods, Icons has designed a menu that will help detox the body, improve the immune system and provide super delicious healthy assortment of food and drinks.
It’s pure passion when Elena Weber, Founder and CEO talks at the launch about the creation of Icons , "We are so glad to finally present our unique concept of luxurious, fashionable and guilt-free Coffee chain with its first outlet in UAE to the world. With the launch of Icons , we have achieved a great milestone of launching WORLD’S first ever coffee shop with STEVIA-only menu. Stevia is touted as the sweetener of choice for diabetics, and a suitable alternative to sugar for those looking to engage in a healthier lifestyle. With high prevalence of obesity and diabetes in UAE and the region plus with more people dying of heart and lifestyle diseases than because of hunger, it felt only appropriate to look for an option which can provide the same great taste for our sweet and coffee cravings yet can be low on calories providing essential health benefits. It’s been my dream to create something meaningful for the society and we wish to bring a healthy change more so a health movement with our exclusive concept. After all, who does not want to enjoy something sweet without feeling guilty afterwards".
"After rigorous research and with the help of our master pâtissier Stefan Kopetz, we have worked on a new style of menu, re-inventing all of our recipes as Stevia is 300 times sweeter than the regular sugar and it bakes in a different way. Stefan is pastry chef of Bayern Munich FC and a man with a reputation for having wooed a host of celebrities including football player Philipp Lahm, singer Sarah Connor and the boxing Klitschko brothers with his sensational sweets and desserts.The Frappuccino’s and Hot Chocolates at Icons are just between 150 - 250 calories, compared with 750 calories otherwise available in the market, you can even enjoy a second cup purely guilt free", says Ms Weber smiling.
Ms Weber and team worked on developing the brand for two years prior to launching the idea in the market, in order to establish a franchise model with strong systems, procedures and a unique finance scheme that would make it highly appealing to potential franchisees located in the region and internationally to bring a super healthy, but joyful change!
"We have received a lot of interest to date from the GCC region in particular, where, due to the high prevalence of diabetes, healthy eating is a topical issue. We have already signed franchise agreements for six UAE outlets and are looking at several possible master franchise agreements," she says, adding, "We also have enquiries from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Turkey and Kazakhstan."
