How Half Million Coffee survived during COVID-19 pandemic – Meshal Khalid H Alshehri

The Chief Executive Officer of Half Million Coffee, Meshal Khalid H Alshehri has said that the company was able to survive the coronavirus pandemic period through the use of social media.

Meshal Khalid H Alshehri, who disclosed this during an interview yesterday, said that the pandemic initially affected the business, but that the shop was able to beat the curve through dynamism.

“In truth, our business was initially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, just like other businesses also took a negative hit from the global pandemic. The virus caused a huge meltdown to the healthcare industry and to businesses because without good health, nobody can function at all not to talk of functioning effectively.

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“The lockdown, especially the complete closure of all businesses affected our work but I was able to do online sales and I managed to achieve good sales,” he said.

Alshehi, who is one of the founders of Half Million Coffee, an upscale top-selling coffee shop, dealing in the best quality coffee products for a wide-range and discerning clienteles, said the company will soon open new branches in Europe and USA.

The company which started in Saudi Arabia has extended its tentacles into other countries including Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“There are also plans to open more than one branches in USA and Europe to strengthen the brand and improve sales and make 1’2M coffee better,” Alshehri said.

Alshehri, who noted that the company has overcome the initial challenge of logistics in opening new branches, revealed that his childhood ambition shaped his business trajectory and contributed to taking him to his present career path.

“From my childhood, I have always loved coffee, and my family always commended my love and passion for coffee. This love grows with me. The idea succeeded when I opened the first branch, and then I opened other branches, and the turnout and interaction increased unexpectedly,” Alshehri added.

He admitted that he was not sure if he would have succeeded in any other business venture than his present one at Half Million Coffee

According to him, “I don’t know, but my penchant for coffee will make me look for a job similar to this field”.

He vowed to do continuous consultation, brainstorming, study all tracks and leverage on the advice of experts in his expansion drive.

“The best moment in my work was when I established an office and I sat down and read my name that I am now a manager, the owner of the largest high-quality cafe while the worst moment at the beginning was that I was discouraged by those close to me not to complete the project,” he reflected about the starting point of the business.