The Australian connection behind the worldwide success of the Gloria Jean’s Coffee chain is a salient lesson in pitching a store concept to suit new markets.
Watch Nabi Saleh from Gloria Jean’s Coffees talk about building the franchise chain. 
When Nabi Saleh (right) and Peter Irvine brought the US coffee concept to Australia in 1998 they had to make big changes to suit Australians, adding seating and snacks to the menu. The model was finessed over 18 months to become what it is today.
In 2005 Saleh and Irvine bought the international rights to Gloria Jean’s and focused on exporting. Today, if you sit down to a Gloria Jean’s coffee in any country in the world, the beans will have come from the same warehouse in Sydney. There are now more than 400 stores in Australia and over 750 outlets in more than 50 countries. Export accounts for about 35% of revenue.
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