This “App With A Coffee Shop” Is Gamifying Dubai’s Coffee Scene

It’s Monday morning. Your alarm can no longer be snoozed, and you realize another work week awaits. Soon after you digest the existential dread of “working late, [even though you’re not] singers,”  the inevitable carving for caffeine creeps up. This carving intensifies until you quell it with our daily coffee orders before you clock into work. And while you queue in a line full of caffeine addicts at your favorite coffee shop, you can’t help but wonder: wouldn’t it be great if I could pick up my coffee on the go and start the week on time for a change? Katerina Borodich, CEO of Drinkit, tackles this customer dilemma every coffee lover contemplates. 

Creating coffee moments for everyone 

Dubai’s oversaturated coffee scene lacks two things: specialty coffee chains and room to customize coffee orders. These market gaps formed the fodder that fueled Drinkit’s ambitious goal to bring specialty coffee to the masses. Borodich was quick to acknowledge that “customization is popular” in Dubai. “Local Arab culture combined with fast-paced lifestyles in the city” positions Dubai as the ideal location for experimentation. Whether it is trends or changing taste preferences, Dubai is home to a diverse consumer base that is willing to experiment. 

Katerina Borodich, CEO of Drinkit. Image Credits: Drinkit

Drinkit is marketed as “an app with a coffee shop, not a coffee shop.” Unlike budget coffee chains like Starbucks or Costa on every street corner with almost identical offerings, Drinkit offers a digital coffee experience that transcends beyond the screen. “In every country where Drikit exists, we have physical coffee shops. Simply because when people come into a coffee shop, they’re not buying a cup of hot liquid; they’re buying a coffee moment,” said Borodich empathically.

For Drinkit, customization is at the heart of every “coffee moment.” And it begins the moment you walk into a Drinkit coffee shop. Aside from adding “extra cinnamon powder on top” or “a pump of sugar-free vanilla syrup” in your coffee, Drinkit allows customers to customize their coffee shop experience. Customers are free to exchange pleasantries with their favorite baristas or embark on a solo coffee experience using Drinkit kiosks in the coffee shops. 

 

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“Customers going to a yoga class or entering an elevator just pre-order their drinks,” said Borodich. Pre-orders serve as Drinkit’s hook in Dubai’s trend-driven coffee landscape. Smart counters gamify Drinkit’s coffee culture within its serene ambiance. According to Borodich, “95% of orders are online, either through the kiosk or the app.” 

In a Drinkit coffee shop, customers can be anyone. “Think about Starbucks. They always misspell names on coffee orders. At Drinkit, you’ll be exactly who you want to be today. If you want to be Penelope Cruz, who can say otherwise? Customers can put any name in the system, and they have fun doing it. I’ve seen customers add cheeky names like ‘looking for a girlfriend’ on their coffee orders,” Borodich recalls.

At Drinkit, you’re not merely a customer. You’re an avatar in the mood to experiment with your next cup of freshly made specialty coffee.