Kopi Kenangan opens 14 outlets in Malaysia, targets 50 by year-end

Co-founders Edward Tirtanata (left) and James Prananto at the launch of Kopi Kenangan’s first outlet in Kuala Lumpur / Photo credit: Kopi Kenangan

Indonesian coffee chain Kopi Kenangan tells Tech in Asia that it has opened 14 outlets in Malaysia at the time of writing.

The firm’s CEO, Edward Tirnata, said in a May 11 interview with DealStreetAsia that he expected to open 25 stores in Malaysia by July and 50 by year-end.

While Kopi Kenangan’s expansion appears to be slower than expected, the 50-outlet target hasn’t been revised, a company spokesperson said without elaborating.

Kopi Kenangan’s 14 outlets are located around the Klang Valley, which runs across the states of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The company doesn’t have any plans at the moment to expand to Sabah and Sarawak, the spokesperson added.

Malaysia is the first overseas destination for the chain, which is known as Kenangan Coffee outside Indonesia.

But the Malaysian coffee space is becoming overheated. Tech in Asia reported last week that a new Malaysian entrant, Koppiku, launched its first store in Kuala Lumpur. Melissa Lim, Kopi Kenangan’s former strategy manager, is one of Koppiku’s founders.

Kopi Kenangan joined the unicorn club in 2021 after raising US$96 million in its series C funding round, making it Southeast Asia’s first “new retail” F&B unicorn.

The firm has more than 850 stores across 64 cities in Indonesia. It also rolled out new offerings in its home market: bread shop Cerita Roti, chicken wings chain Chigo, and cookie brand Kenangan Manis.

See more: Malaysia’s coffee scene heats up as foreign players take on local firms