Arada brews up new experience as ‘Reformatory Lab’ lands in UAE

The Reformatory Lab was founded by fourth-generation Colombian coffee farmer and comic book fan Simon Jaramillo, who made his dream to open the ‘Bat Cave’ of coffee shops come true in an old garage in Sydney, Australia. The first Reformatory Lab in the Surry Hills district allowed local coffee fans to experience Simon’s unparalleled brewing methods and enjoy the very best crop-to-cup coffee.

Now coming to Dubai for the first time, The Reformatory Lab’s launch outlet has now opened at Arada’s W Residences at Dubai Harbour sales center, which is located close to the Dubai Harbour Yacht Club.

Arada is currently working to identify further locations in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in the medium term, with the aim to open 10 outlets over the next three years, alongside a central roastery in Dubai.  

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “The Reformatory Lab answers the need for an elevated coffee experience here in the UAE and is designed to give our customers an experience that is always out of the ordinary. Building on the brand’s success in Australia, our goal is to make The Reformatory Lab the go-to location for coffee lovers locally, adding new venues to all of the major cities of the UAE before expanding internationally.”

Simon Jaramillo, General Manager of The Reformatory Lab, said: “With unexpected flavours, unique origins and an amazing atmosphere, The Reformatory Lab aims to revolutionise the coffee scene here in the UAE and show how – in a world of mediocrity – the simple pleasure of a stellar cup can direct everyone’s day towards greatness. We’re determined to fight against subpar tastes and aromas, embracing the spirit of exceptional coffee and committing to our ongoing exploration into new flavours and experiences.”

With coffees from Colombia, India, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, El Salvador, Java and Brazil, The Reformatory Lab’s blends are highly graded and combine five different processes. Customers might taste fruit flavours such as blueberries and pineapple, as well as delicate sweet notes of mixed nuts, macadamia, and salted caramel.

The Reformatory Lab’s expertise extends beyond coffee with customers able to look forward to a daily selection of baked treats and snacks, all made with the same precision and attention to detail typical of the finest dining restaurants. Furthermore, the addition of the central roastery will allow The Reformatory Lab to provide bespoke blends to businesses both in the UAE and regionally.

The arrival of The Reformatory Lab adds to Arada’s existing portfolio of complementary brands, which includes fast-growing fitness operators Wellfit, FitnGlam, FITCODE and The Platform Studios; healthy F&B concepts Boost Juice and Hungry Wolves, popular food truck destination Zad and many more.