South Korea’s Caffe Bene has become the first coffee franchise in the country to receive halal food certification, the company said Tuesday.

Caffe Bene’s six types of coffee beans — Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, blending and espresso — and nine powder types — coffee, green tea, milk tea, red velvet, sweet potato, vanilla and yogurt — have been certified halal by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, or JAKIM.


The newly acquired halal certification is set to pave the way for the coffee chain to expand its presence in the Middle East, according to Caffe Bene. The company currently operates stores in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“The new certification will help us provide safe products to customers at home while opening doors to new overseas markets and helping to better promote our products abroad,” said a company official. 

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)