Sara Al-Ali: From Coffee Passion to Entrepreneurship… A Tale of Inspiration and Excellence

Sara Al-Ali: From Coffee Passion to Entrepreneurship… A Tale of Inspiration and Excellence

In the world of coffee, where coffee beans weave their aromatic tales with each cup, Sara Al-Ali’s story stands out as one filled with passion and inspiration. From the first warm aroma of coffee filling the place to launching her café, which reflects her deep vision and unique philosophy in the world of specialty coffee. Sara Al-Ali was not just a barista or an entrepreneur, but a leader of an exploration journey that takes us through different realms of coffee, embodying her determination and persistence in achieving her dream and offering the best to coffee lovers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We invite you to join us in this warm and inspiring interview to discover the details of Sara Al-Ali’s journey in the coffee world.

1. What inspired you to start a career in the coffee industry?

The idea of opening a coffee project in 2013 was the spark that led me to discover the world of coffee and its sciences. The first step in this journey was a training course in France on barista skills, which made me wonder about the future opportunities in this field in Saudi Arabia. At that time, I decided to delve deeper into the field professionally until I passed several training courses and obtained my training license in 2018.

2. Can you tell us the story of establishing THAT Café?

THAT Café started in 2016 as a mobile café providing services within the buildings of companies, ministries, and institutions for employees. (In Arabic, “THAT” means “self” or “essence”) The staff was 100% female, whom I trained and taught the arts of coffee and the necessary skills to run the café. After several years, the idea became clearer, and the work routine more stable, so in 2019 I decided to look for partners to achieve the core idea of the project, which is to open a café capable of expanding and spreading more widely. However, the biggest challenge came during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the project was postponed until the pandemic ended. Indeed, the first branch was opened in 2022.

3. What is the core philosophy behind THAT Café, and how do you ensure its distinction in the competitive coffee market in Riyadh?

The true philosophy behind the name “THAT” touches the deepest part of a person and the unique imprint that each individual has. The self is what distinguishes each person from another and is in a dynamic state that makes it constantly changing and evolving with every interaction with the environment or others. I found a similarity between “THAT” and coffee; each cup of coffee has a unique imprint from the coffee beans used to the person enjoying the cup. I wanted to convey this unique experience in THAT Café from a meticulously prepared cup to exceptional service by distinguished baristas.

4. How do you see the specialty coffee scene in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa region?

The coffee scene is expanding and rapidly growing, especially with the efforts of our wise government to spread coffee culture and extensive initiatives like naming 2022 the Year of Coffee and the massive investments in Saudi coffee and developing farming methods in the Kingdom. Also, in many Gulf and Middle Eastern countries, we see interest in spreading and enhancing coffee culture and its history through coffee museums, training centers, and competitions.

5. What challenges and opportunities do you see in the specialty coffee market here?

There are many challenges in the global coffee market and supply chains that affect the local market, in addition to the saturation of the region with cafés and roasteries. However, all these challenges create new opportunities, especially with the interest in coffee quality centers in the Arab world and education centers.

6. What drove you to become a licensed coffee evaluator and judge in coffee competitions, and was the journey easy?

During my career and my deepening in the field of coffee, I found myself inclined more towards coffee sciences that concern its quality, especially sensory sciences. Fields like coffee quality evaluation and judging provide me with enriching and exciting opportunities and experiences from which I gain the skills and knowledge necessary to develop professionally in this field that I love. Was the journey easy? Certainly not, especially with work responsibilities and family duties. Obtaining these licenses requires a lot of effort, time, and money, as most of them are not available locally and require me to travel long hours and pass difficult exams.

7. What are the essential skills and knowledge you focus on when training baristas in your training programs?

In our training programs and courses of the Specialty Coffee Association, we offer courses in different paths under the coffee skills program, including barista skills, brewing skills, and sensory skills. Each course focuses on specific skills such as technical skills in coffee preparation, preventive and periodic maintenance of equipment, water and coffee chemistry, different extraction methods, extraction ratio calculation, tasting tests and coffee evaluation, and understanding the stages of coffee production and supply chains.

8. As a judge in coffee competitions, what prominent trends have you noticed, and how do these trends reflect broader developments in the coffee industry?

I have noticed a greater presence of women in the championships, both at the level of judges and competitors, and participation from many Arab countries, which is encouraging. The level of baristas has generally risen both technically and in terms of knowledge. I also observe the adoption of many scientifically-based techniques, showcasing new coffee varieties on the global stage, and greater understanding of cultural differences in taste, with new trends being adopted in judging protocols and evaluation models.

9. How do you see the future of coffee in terms of innovation and sustainability?

What distinguishes the coffee field is that there are no limits to innovation and creativity in it. We face many daily challenges that require innovative solutions to overcome obstacles, such as fluctuating climatic conditions in many coffee-producing countries, labor scarcity issues, and the fast-paced lifestyle. I see rapid spread of products like capsules and instant coffee bags. However, we are still falling short in implementing systems and methods that ensure sustainability in the coffee field in general and addressing supply chain problems specifically.

10. What advice do you offer to young professionals who aim to leave a mark in the coffee industry?

Be a role model for others and a source of inspiration through excellence in your work and humility in sharing knowledge.

11. What is your favorite coffee? Is there a specific type of coffee that left a lasting impression on you?

I enjoy black morning coffee mostly from South American countries due to its balance between acidity and bitterness and its gentle flavors. I also have a special place in my heart for a cup of coffee prepared with a cezve (ibrik) because it is my mother’s favorite coffee and because I achieved my first accomplishments in coffee competitions using this tool.

12. How do you balance between different roles and responsibilities within the coffee industry?

Achieving balance is almost impossible between these roles due to the significant responsibilities and work pressures associated with each role. However, thanks to my excellent team who prove their competence every time I delegate some tasks and responsibilities. The positive aspect is that the different roles I perform are closely interconnected and depend on each other. For example, as an evaluator, I look for the best quality products for my project, as a trainer, I guide the team in operations, and as someone practicing in the field, my evaluation in judging is based on accumulated experience and background, and so on.

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[:ar]Privacy Policy for qahwa world At qahwaworld, accessible from qahwaworld.com, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by qahwaworld and how we use it. If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us. This Privacy Policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in qahwaworld. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website. Our Privacy Policy was created with the help of the Free Privacy Policy Generator. Consent By using our website, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. 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Privacy Policy for Qahwa World

At Qahwa World, accessible from https://qahwaworld.com, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by Qahwa World and how we use it. If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us. This Privacy Policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in Qahwa World. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website. Our Privacy Policy was created with the help of the Free Privacy Policy Generator.

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We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following: The right to access – You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service. The right to rectification – You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request that we complete the information you believe is incomplete. The right to erasure – You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to data portability – You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

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Another part of our priority is adding protection for children while using the internet. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and/or monitor and guide their online activity. Qahwa World does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.[:ru]Privacy Policy for qahwa world At qahwaworld, accessible from qahwaworld.com, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by qahwaworld and how we use it. If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us. This Privacy Policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in qahwaworld. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website. Our Privacy Policy was created with the help of the Free Privacy Policy Generator. Consent By using our website, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. Information we collect The personal information that you are asked to provide, and the reasons why you are asked to provide it, will be made clear to you at the point we ask you to provide your personal information. If you contact us directly, we may receive additional information about you such as your name, email address, phone number, the contents of the message and/or attachments you may send us, and any other information you may choose to provide. When you register for an Account, we may ask for your contact information, including items such as name, company name, address, email address, and telephone number. How we use your information We use the information we collect in various ways, including to: Provide, operate, and maintain our website Improve, personalize, and expand our website Understand and analyze how you use our website Develop new products, services, features, and functionality Communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for marketing and promotional purposes Send you emails Find and prevent fraud Log Files qahwaworld follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit websites. All hosting companies do this and a part of hosting services' analytics. The information collected by log files include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks. These are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. The purpose of the information is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking users' movement on the website, and gathering demographic information. Cookies and Web Beacons Like any other website, qahwaworld uses 'cookies'. These cookies are used to store information including visitors' preferences, and the pages on the website that the visitor accessed or visited. The information is used to optimize the users' experience by customizing our web page content based on visitors' browser type and/or other information. For more general information on cookies, please read the Cookies article on Generate Privacy Policy website. Google DoubleClick DART Cookie Google is one of a third-party vendor on our site. It also uses cookies, known as DART cookies, to serve ads to our site visitors based upon their visit to www.website.com and other sites on the internet. However, visitors may choose to decline the use of DART cookies by visiting the Google ad and content network Privacy Policy at the following URL – https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads Our Advertising Partners Some of advertisers on our site may use cookies and web beacons. Our advertising partners are listed below. Each of our advertising partners has their own Privacy Policy for their policies on user data. For easier access, we hyperlinked to their Privacy Policies below. Google https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads Advertising Partners Privacy Policies You may consult this list to find the Privacy Policy for each of the advertising partners of qahwaworld. Third-party ad servers or ad networks uses technologies like cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons that are used in their respective advertisements and links that appear on qahwaworld, which are sent directly to users' browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. These technologies are used to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and/or to personalize the advertising content that you see on websites that you visit. Note that qahwaworld has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. Third Party Privacy Policies qahwaworld's Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers or websites. Thus, we are advising you to consult the respective Privacy Policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information. It may include their practices and instructions about how to opt-out of certain options. You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options. To know more detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers, it can be found at the browsers' respective websites. CCPA Privacy Rights (Do Not Sell My Personal Information) Under the CCPA, among other rights, California consumers have the right to: Request that a business that collects a consumer's personal data disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data that a business has collected about consumers. Request that a business delete any personal data about the consumer that a business has collected. Request that a business that sells a consumer's personal data, not sell the consumer's personal data. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us. GDPR Data Protection Rights We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following: The right to access – You have the right to request copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service. The right to rectification – You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request that we complete the information you believe is incomplete. The right to erasure – You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions. The right to data portability – You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us. Children's Information Another part of our priority is adding protection for children while using the internet. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and/or monitor and guide their online activity. qahwaworld does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.[:]
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