Former Outlawz rapper opens coffee shop in Saudi Arabia

Former Outlawz rapper Mutah Beale has opened a new cafe in Riyadh.

A handout photo of Mutah Beale, who was formerly known as the rapper Napoleon and member of Tupac's The Outlawz (Courtesy: Mutah Beal)

Former Outlawz rapper Mutah Beale, who performed under the name of Napoleon, has opened a new cafe in Riyadh. He speaks to Saeed Saeed about his Mathaq Al-Kaif Coffee Shop and how the hospitality industry is different than the music game.

Wait a minute, you were formerly a youth educator in Saudi Arabia. What are you doing getting into the cafe business?

I have been involved in quite few different business adventures back in the day from real estate, a barbershop business, a clothing line and retail store. I always thought about the food and beverage industry and never knew how or when I will get involved. It was because of my love for coffee that I started to study the coffee industry from a grass roots level to business and I came to find out the coffee business is very lucrative. I decided to open a coffee shop here in Riyadh, where I live, as I noticed coffee shops are not only every where in Saudi but also successful in most cases. Long story short, I and a Canadian friend decided to join my Saudi friend as his partners and investors in the coffee shop. So here I am, the co-owner and partner of Mathaq Al-Kaif Coffee Shop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

What makes Mathaq Al-Kaif stand out from the plethora of coffee shops in Riyadh?

I told my partners in order for us to be successful we have to be different so we decided to implement few special foods and programs in our shop. For example, we have American desserts that can’t be found in Saudi such as the bean pie which has been selling off the chain. We also have an English book club and English tutoring programs taught by American English teachers. We also will have basic Arabic classes for non speaking Arabs called Arabic and Ghawah (Arabic and coffee). We hold sports events and we will soon launch a smart phone app for our shop which will allow people to order in advance if they’re in a rush and they will receive free coffee and discounts via this app.

How is the hospitality industry different than the music game? Same pressure?

Well in the music business every one serves us musicians. Here in hospitality the game is the other way around and we have to serve our customers and keep a smile on our faces while doing it.

For more info on Mathaq Al-Kaif Coffee Shop click on the Facebook page.