SME profile: former model finds an organic path from catwalk to cafe chain

Icons Coffee Couture is based around the healthy eating habits that a glamorous fashion-and-film crowd may follow, with organically grown coffee and no added sugars in its treats.

Elena Weber puts the success of the brand down to hard work, belief and knowledge of her customers. Anna Nielsen for The National

Elena Weber’s career path has taken her from catwalk princess to coffee queen. In 2013 she opened her first cafe, Icons Coffee Couture, in Souk Al Bahar and now boasts a roster of six outlets across the UAE with two in Qatar, and has signed master franchise agreements in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The cafe is based around the healthy eating habits that a glamorous fashion-and-film crowd may follow, with organically grown coffee and no added sugars in its treats.

“There is no refined or white sugar, which means less calories, so you can eat more,” says the 30-year-old German. She puts the success of the brand down to hard work, belief and a laser-targeted knowledge of her customers.

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“My overnight success took five years of hard work, sleepless nights and persistence,” Ms Weber says. “I know it’s a cliché but it’s true. The first cafe in Souk Al Bahar was a huge investment of time and energy creating the brand. I had two interior designers work on the space and two graphic designers work on the products, and the rent for that location was eye-watering. I learnt a lot from the first cafe. I targeted women as clientele, because wherever women are men will come as well.”

The transition from model to chief executive came about with the knowledge that beauty can fade fast but brains age slower. She was given a bit of sage advice as a youngster that running your own business allowed for untold opportunities and the information never left her.

"I was at university in Munich studying business administration and I was offered the chance to start modelling," Ms Weber says. "I thought why not? I was in many magazines such as Elle and Cosmoplitan, and fronted many fashion collections and got to see the world but I always knew I needed another string to my bow. It was in Argentina that I discovered stevia, the sugar substitute, and that's when the idea began to formulate."

Stevia is derived from a plant species of the same name that has a long history of use in South America. Stevia is estimated to be about 200 times sweeter than sugar and contains no calories.

Ms Weber had always known that modelling was not her life choice and saw stevia as a way of creating a natural product that allowed indulgence without any downside. She had interned at an investment company in Dubai through 2007 and, after returning to Germany to work on her business plan and further modelling assignments, she pitched the idea to the Dubai company looking for investment.

“I first presented to the company in 2011 and it took nine months of refinement and communication before they came on board,” Ms Weber says. “We launched in Souk Al Bahar, but it was on the first floor and the footfall was not what we hoped. It convinced me that while we are a high-end, boutique offering, traffic is more important than location and we looked for opportunities in malls and geographies that offered visibility.”

While it has taken some time to grow the business, with 2015 being particularly challenging as the company found its feet, last year was a breakout year for the brand. An Icons Coffee Couture cafe can now be found from Al Ain to Ras Al Khaimah and it is becoming a firm local favourite, although the original Souk Al Bahar cafe has been closed because of insufficient footfall.

The cafes’ monochromatic and stylish decor, combined with bestseller desserts such as hot cookie cake topped with chocolate ice cream made with natural sweeteners like agave and dates (Dh25), have tapped into the GCC palate.

Another eight outlets are planned this year in the UAE. While the GCC has become a solid area of growth, Ms Weber is eyeing openings in Germany, where the company’s coffee roastery is based, with China as a target in the next couple of years.

“I am so excited for 2017,” Ms Weber says. “The business is my husband, my child and my life, so I want to see it grow and prosper. We still need to franchise Oman and Kuwait so we have targets to fulfil. The franchising allows us to spread the risk and spread the brand so it is a win-win for both parties. The brand is an extension of myself being healthy, organic, fair trade and always positive.”

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