MALAYSIA. HMSHost Malaysia inaugurated its first Costa Coffee store at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its third in Malaysia, on Thursday. The first two opened earlier this year at Langkawi International, also through the Autogrill-owned travel F&B specialist. This opening will be followed by a further Costa Coffee outlet at low-cost terminal klia2 in early 2020.
The 220sq m store offers the brand’s freshly ground Mocha Italia blend and many of its signature hot and cold drinks, alongside a range of fresh food.
The opening was celebrated with a traditional ribbon cutting, plus several eye-catching installations such as a Mini car (to evoke the brand’s UK heritage) and by a nine-foot coffee cup in the landside departures area.
To mark the event, customers can enjoy a free cup of coffee on 12-13 December by sharing a photo with the giant cup or the Mini via social media platforms.
HMSHost Asia Pacific Regional Director David Mackay said: “We are excited to continue our expansion with Malaysia Airports, with the opening of our third Costa Coffee in Malaysia.”
Malaysia Airports General Manager of Commercial Services Hani Ezra Hussin said: “After the success of Costa Coffee at Langkawi International Airport, we are excited to bring the well-loved coffee chain to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
“With the influx of passengers through KLIA, which as of October saw +3.9% growth year-on-year, we are committed to enhancing the experience through the vast retail, F&B and service offerings at our airports. This is in line with our Commercial Reset strategy to transform our airports into lifestyle and shopping destinations.”
She added: “We have been introducing new concepts and brands to our airports, beginning with the Commercial Reset at Langkawi International. There, we opened the first two Costa Coffee stand-alone outlets in Malaysia. These have been a big success and we are proud now to introduce this brand to KLIA, where it builds on our robust F&B offer.
“The potential of KLIA cannot be under-estimated and we are committed to lifting the quality of the F&B experience. That is already paying off with our ASQ (Airport Service Quality) scores. In F&B our score has increased from 4.21 in January to 4.51 by October, and in value for money it has risen from 4.02 to 4.37. This shows the dedication and commitment of Malaysia Airports and we are proud to partner with Costa Coffee and HMSHost here at KLIA.”
Costa Coffee General Manager for Emerging Asia, South Pacific and Africa Everett Fieldgate said: “Costa Coffee is delighted to partner with HMSHost International to bring great coffee to customer travelling and working in KLIA. Customers can now enjoy a cup of our signature barista-crafted flat white and a great variety of other beverage and food in the comfort of a store designed to provide a cozy and conducive ambience.”
Costa Coffee Regional Business Development Manager Joanne Richardson hailed the partnership with HMSHost and Malaysia Airports, and said: “We want to give customers the same Costa Coffee experience as they would have in London.”
HMSHost International Country Manager Sachi Subramaniam said: “HMSHost International opened its first two concepts in Malaysia in 1998, and today has 14 outlets at KLIA and klia2, plus five in Langkawi, including the first two for Costa Coffee. We are pleased to continue this story of partnership with Malaysia Airports.”
HMSHost operates in Malaysia under two business entities: in joint venture with Brahim’s Holdings, as well as through HMSHost company-owned stores.
The opening is one of a series of recent and planned upgrades to the F&B offer at KLIA (and other airports) as part of Malaysia Airports’ Commercial Reset strategy. Other openings have included famed Chinese dumpling house Din Tai Fung, also in landside departures, while further big F&B opportunities are expected to come to market in early 2020.