If there’s one thing that the 34-year-old Emirati entrepreneur Mansoor Al Bastaki knows, it’s coffee. After seven years working in the Dubai public sector, he’s now the co-owner of Ikon Aim General Trading, which holds several Turkish franchises in the UAE and Bahrain.
One of its brands is Selamlique Istanbul, a high-end Turkish coffee company that also sells sweets and Turkish delight.
“It’s a retail concept. It’s only Turkish coffee – and 100 per cent Arabica beans imported from Brazil and processed in Turkey as Turkish coffee.”
The company offers six main flavours – traditional, dark roast, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom and mastic, as well as decaffeinated Turkish coffee. What differentiates Selamlique’s coffee from its competitors, he adds, is that it’s all natural.
“The way we decaffeinate the coffee is a 100 per cent natural process – we use the water of the mountains in Mexico.” Many companies, he says, use chemicals to decaffeinate their coffee.
Al Bastaki says that he first “bumped into” Selamlique at the Gulf Food trade show in Dubai in 2010. He was so impressed with the brand that, after a couple of trips to Istanbul, he took on the franchise. Selamlique, which is named after the traditional Ottoman palace area reserved for men, has a sister brand called Haremlique, named after the portion of the house where women traditionally resided.
Haremlique sells all types of materials, including bed linens, kaftans, soaps and scented candles. The company prides itself on its bespoke linens for homes and private yachts.
Becoming an entrepreneur is never easy, especially in a city as diverse as Dubai, Al Bastaki says. The key is in the research.
“Travelling is a life experience, but books help a lot, too.”
Is it hard to maintain a work-life balance when running a business?
It’s difficult for a start-up – even if I work eight or nine hours and go home to spend some time with my family, my mind is always stuck with work.
How has your career move changed you?
I changed my mind a lot when I became an entrepreneur – I feel that my risk-taking personality has been enhanced.
My favourite food
I like fine dining, because I like good food. But I don’t care about the design of my dish as much as I care about the taste.
My favourite place to dine
It depends on my mood. On weekends, I like to go to a place where there’s a good environment and the food tastes good, but on weekdays you might want to go somewhere where you can eat quickly.
My favourite place to travel
I like France, especially the south of France – it’s very relaxing. There is a nice drive between the mountains and there are some nice villages there. My favourite spot in the world is the French Riviera.
Are you into cars?
I like driving, but I’m not into serious engines or how much horsepower [a car has].
My leisure time
I like to go out with my family, my wife and my friends. I like sitting in outdoor places, if the weather is good. I like the new project, The Beach [JBR in Dubai], but the traffic is the worst part. I hope the tram will solve part of the problem.
My biggest inspiration
I see my father as an example – he built his own empire. He was the one who established this company, so I want to follow his path; but with my own will.
Do you drink a lot of coffee?
I’m a coffee person. I’m not a tea person. When I had my first sip of Selamlique coffee, I could tell that this was a good coffee.
My favourite coffee
I like Turkish coffee. I’m a frequent traveller to Lebanon ... and Lebanon is very famous for Turkish coffee.
halbustani@thenational.ae
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