Coffee Island Expands Abroad with New Strategic Investment
Following its launch in India, Coffee Island has made a new strategic move abroad. The Patras-based coffee chain has established a new roasting, processing, and packaging unit in Egypt, aimed at meeting the needs of its local store network.
“The new facility is a smaller version of our central production unit in Patras and will ensure the freshness and consistent quality of our products,” says Mr. Dimitris Vorris, Plant Senior Manager at Coffee Island, speaking to OT.
Από τις Πυραμίδες της Γκίζα μέχρι την Μαδρίτη – Οι νέοι σταθμοί της Coffee Island
To ensure the smooth operation of the new facility, specialized teams from Coffee Island traveled to Egypt to train staff and partners on roasting procedures, quality control, and coffee standards. At the same time, Egyptian partners visited Patras as part of a knowledge exchange program, strengthening consistency in the quality of the final product.
Wholesale Expansion
According to Mr. Vorris, the decision to open the Egyptian unit was driven by the need to reduce time-consuming customs and logistics procedures that hinder timely supply and freshness. Local processing and packaging now allow Coffee Island to better serve its retail stores and enter the Egyptian B2B (wholesale) market.
The facility is also equipped with a remote control system that allows real-time monitoring of roasting curves.
Growth Potential in the Egyptian Market
Coffee Island currently operates four stores in Egypt, with more openings planned in key locations.
“With this investment, Coffee Island takes a significant step toward international expansion, strengthening its presence in an emerging market with great growth potential,” Mr. Vorris notes.
One of the company’s stores is located near the Pyramids of Giza—an area that attracts over 14 million tourists annually.
Recently, Coffee Island also opened its first store in India, in the heart of Gurgaon’s business and tech hub.
Investments in Patras
Investments are also ongoing at Coffee Island’s proprietary production and processing unit in Patras. Over the past two to three years, significant funds have been allocated to expand the facilities, increasing both production capacity and storage space.
The total investment included in the Greek Development Law framework reaches €2 million.
Two New Robotic Systems
This investment cycle is being completed with the addition of two new robotic systems.
“These are two fully automated lines for packaging, boxing, and palletizing. They will help ease the physical strain on employees while increasing overall efficiency,” Mr. Vorris explains.
He adds:“These custom-made robotic systems will significantly increase speed in packaging, boxing, and palletizing. The first line, for boxing and palletizing, has a capacity of 30 units/min, while the second packaging line can handle 50 units/min. The project is advancing rapidly and is expected to be fully operational by March.”
New Greek Coffee Grinding Machine
Additionally, the company has ordered a new Greek coffee grinder (roller mill), expected to be installed by the end of April. With a grinding capacity of 450 kg/hour, it will work in parallel with the existing 350 kg/hour machine, bringing total grinding and packaging capacity for Greek coffee to 800 kg/hour.
According to Mr. Vorris, the company has also acquired two additional packaging machines with capacities of 50 and 25 units/min, both of which will be fully operational by the end of March. The total investment for these upgrades is estimated at €1.2 million.
Capsule Production Also in Focus
Coffee Island is also investing in a new, advanced capsule production line with a capacity of 70–80 units/min, boosting efficiency and production precision.
From Local Roaster to Global Franchise
Coffee Island was founded by Patras-based entrepreneur Vangelis Liolios in 1999, initially operating as a coffee roastery. In 2009, the company shifted focus toward high-quality takeaway coffee and quickly expanded. Today, it has a large franchise network with over 400 stores in Greece and operates in 13 countries: Greece, Cyprus, UK (London), Switzerland, Romania, Spain, Canada, Egypt, Dubai, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, France, and India.
