#INTERVIEW: Inside the Guinness World Record-Breaking Realm of Roasters
What began as a personal quest by Co-founder and CEO Konstantin Harbuz and his wife to discover the perfect cup of coffee has, in just a few short years, blossomed into a powerhouse of 11 premium locations: Roasters Specialty Coffee House.
Kostya’s approach is a masterclass in "lifestyle entrepreneurship": balancing an almost academic reverence for the bean with a data-driven instinct for luxury real estate. Under his direction, Roasters has been able to serve something unique, from Jumeirah rooftops to the heart of Dubai Mall, culminating in a Guinness World Record for the world's most exclusive coffee experience. As the brand prepares to take its Dubai-born excellence to Hong Kong and beyond, we speak with the visionary behind the roast.
Delna Mistry Anand: What inspired you to turn a personal passion into a brand that now essentially defines premium coffee culture in Dubai?
Konstantin Harbuz: Yes, Roasters began as a personal obsession; my wife and I are genuine coffee enthusiasts, and the original idea was simple: to create a place where we could serve the best coffee in the world. The first location was a large villa in Jumeirah, transformed into a coffee space driven purely by quality and curiosity rather than commercial ambition. We were the first who made rooftop terrace in Jumeirah in coffee shop, vip room, event space, live roaster.
In 2021, the response exceeded all expectations. Within a very short time, we were serving a large number of guests daily, and every weekend there were queues forming in the evenings with people waiting for a table. Within a month, we shared these results with Dubai Holding, which led to an opportunity to open a flagship location in JBR. In the same week, we secured a location in Dubai Mall with Emaar. That moment marked the transition from a passion project into a serious brand.
As your brand is best known for its rare bean selection, who are the creative and operational minds working behind the scenes to maintain this standard, and what influences keep the brand moving forward?
The foundation of our creative direction is very personal. My wife and I travel extensively around the world, constantly exploring specialty coffee cultures, concepts, and rare beans. This curiosity shaped our early selection strategy and still influences the brand today. Operationally, we now have a team of more than 300 people. Coffee selection and quality are led by our Quality and Beverage departments, supported by a highly skilled head roaster and certified Q graders. Together, they ensure consistency, innovation, and uncompromising standards across all locations.
What in your opinion differentiates the Roasters experience from a standard specialty shop, and how do you approach the craft?
Very few coffee shops are able to offer champion-level coffees on a consistent basis. At Roasters, we actively curate beans from more than 24 coffee-producing countries, including some of the most exclusive lots available globally. Our vision has remained unchanged since day one: to serve the best possible coffee to our guests. In-house roasting allows us full control over quality, freshness and flavour expression, ensuring that every cup reflects that vision.
In a landscape as buoyant and competitive as Dubai’s, how much weight do you place on strategic location as a driver for success, especially in the F&B business?
From the very beginning, we believed that location is one of the most critical success factors in the F&B business. Starting in 2021, our strategy was to secure only the strongest and most premium locations in the city.
At the same time, we invested heavily in quality: sourcing exceptional micro-lot beans, many from Cup of Excellence competitions around the world, and building deep expertise within our team. Investment in people, knowledge, and craftsmanship remains a core pillar of our strategy. Today, we operate 11 premium locations across Dubai, with four additional openings planned for 2026. This positions Roasters as one of the leading specialty coffee brands in the GCC.
When choosing a new neighbourhood, be it a buzzing hub or a serene district, how do you adapt the space while keeping that core Roasters identity intact?
Our expansion is driven by data and long-term planning. We analyse each tower and district in detail, including demographics, nationalities, customer mentality, average spend, and emerging trends.
This analytical approach allows us to understand our guests deeply and choose locations with precision. At the same time, we continuously adapt and refine our concepts to remain relevant, while preserving the core Roasters identity. That makes each of our 11 branches very successful in the market.
We’d love to go behind the scenes of your Guinness World Record for the most exclusive coffee experience; how did this feat come together, and what does such a global recognition signify for the brand?
The Guinness World Record was a carefully planned initiative that took significant time and preparation. Our team sourced an extremely limited coffee lot and structured the pricing and documentation to meet Guinness World Records’ strict criteria.
The process involved extensive compliance and verification to prove why this roasted coffee qualified as the most expensive in the world. Successfully achieving the record resulted in extraordinary global exposure, within two weeks, more than 1,000 international medias published articles about Roasters across multiple countries. The resonance was exceptional and deeply rewarding for the entire team.
Which signature sips and dishes have become the must-haves for your regulars?
Roasters is best known for its ultra-rare coffees, but also guests can experience our all day dining food menu, crafted bakery and pastries as well as signature desserts. Recently we launched a new menu inspired by caviar and truffle and it go very successfully.
What does the next chapter look like? Can you share a bit more about your international plans?
In 2026, we will open several new locations across the UAE, further strengthening our position as market leaders. Alongside this, we are preparing for international expansion, which we will announce in detail soon.
Our first international flagship will open in Hong Kong in April 2026, marking the beginning of Roasters’ global journey.
And coming back to how it all began, what has been the most fulfilling part of watching Roasters evolve from a personal hobby into a market-leading luxury brand?
For me personally, the most rewarding part is our guests. In 2025 alone, we welcomed more than 750,000 guests across our locations in Dubai. Being in the right place at the right time, and earning that level of trust, is incredibly fulfilling.
We are not driven by profits, most of our earnings are reinvested into growth, quality, and people. Dubai has given a great opportunities to me and all my family living here, and Roasters is our way of giving something back: by delivering exceptional coffee, contributing to the culture and helping position Dubai on the global map, as a true coffee capital.
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