CuppaCoffee to close by year-end

After struggling financially since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the much-loved CuppaCoffee café will close its doors, with its last day of operations on December 30, the Times has learned.
The local coffee shop has two branches, one in Taipa, which has been open since June 2008, and one opened in Central Macau in April 2019. CuppaCoffee’s bakery, Nata, will continue to take online orders until January 8.
CuppaCoffee is owned locally by Cristiana Figueiredo, and has been a part of the Macau community for almost 14 years. It has worked alongside the associated Nata Bakery, which has operated for almost 16 years. CuppaCoffee will celebrate its 14 year anniversary on December 30 at the Taipa branch.
Speaking to the Times, Figueiredo expressed that her vision was to expand the brand, not just in Macau but also in China.
“With Covid-19 hitting, we were unable to achieve this goal. The reason for closing all units is that they are interdependent and we need a minimum of two CuppaCoffee stores to make Nata Bakery a profitable operation,” Figueiredo said.
The pandemic has hit the profitability and sustainability of local small and medium enterprises in the city.
According to the owner, “it just became an even more serious [problem] as the [pandemic] progressed.”
“There is a dissociation from reality. […] The government handout helped to heal the damage form the lockdown […] but it is a short-term assistance,” she added.
The businessowner did not consider any loans as it is an “extra commitment in an uncertain situation.”
Despite the shutdown of the business, the entrepreneur said that they are open to licensing the local brand in the future. Staff reporter