This year, coffee shop operator Zuspresso Sdn Bhd plans to open 200 new stores across Southeast Asia.
Chief operating officer Venon Tian said that Zuspresso has managed to overtake Starbucks as the largest coffee chain in Malaysia within five years.
The good news is that ZUS Coffee will expand into the global market by opening 107 new stores in Malaysia, 80 in the Philippines and 6 in Singapore.
The firm will also penetrate the Thai and Indonesian markets by opening its first branches in both countries.
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ZUS overtook Starbucks in the market due to the boycott activities of Malaysians against the American (US) brand, which is linked to Israel in the conflict in Gaza.
There are 743 main ZUS branches compared to 320 Starbucks stores in Malaysia.
Furthermore, Zus currently operates about 120 stores in the Philippines with the investment support of billionaire Frank Lao, four locations in Singapore and operates in Brunei through a franchise model.
Tian said ZUS's success was driven by special flavours such as palm sugar in Malaysia and purple yam flavoured coffee in the Philippines.
In 2024, ZUS was on a unique trajectory after experiencing rapid growth with net income tripling to RM37 million (US$8.4 million).
