At the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, Khabib Nurmagomedov explained that his coffee shop venture began almost by accident, driven by a recurring personal inconvenience in Dagestan.
“Coffee shop business, it’s become very accidentally,” he said. “Because in Dagestan, when I was meeting with people, I go always to see them in restaurants, coffee shops. In every restaurant, to go in and come out is take time for me because I have to take pictures with people, with kids, workers, like always.”
That everyday frustration eventually pushed him to act.
“I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to build my coffee shop. Even if it’s going to be a minus. I’m not going to make money. At least I’m going to feel comfortable,’” he said.
What started as a convenience project soon turned into something much bigger.
“I build my coffee shop and this coffee shop become very success. And I’m like, ‘Okay, why not?’ And I build my team step by step,” he said.
Looking ahead, he outlined an ambitious but gradual expansion plan.
“Even now in UAE, I’m going to open this year two coffee shops. And 2026, my goal is open two coffee shops. Maybe 2027, maybe three more. Like step by step. I don’t want to rush. I don’t want to rush and I build my small empire,” he said.
He also broke down what he believes makes a coffee shop work beyond just the product.
“I think it’s have to be same time it’s have to be design, same time it’s have to be good coffee shop, and same time it’s have to be like people who working in your coffee shop, they have to give good energy for people,” he said.
“It’s very important. Sometime you come to a coffee shop and the people working there, they treat you very bad. You’re never going to come back. It’s have to be with good smile, with good adab, good akhlaq. And of course, it’s have to be good product. And good design, location. There is so many things. In Dubai, you need valet. You need valet parking.”
