SPECIALTY coffee should be viewed as part of Penang’s broader tourism, creative, and entrepreneurial economy rather than merely another food-and-beverage trend, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
Speaking at the opening of the Penang Coffee Festival 2026 at Sunshine Mall today, Chow said Penang has a strong coffee heritage and should leverage it to create new opportunities for businesses, talent and tourism.
“When we speak about Penang’s food culture, we naturally think of our local food, heritage and multicultural traditions. However, there is another part of our food culture that has been with us for generations: coffee.
“In Penang, the kopitiam has never been simply a place for coffee alone. It has been a place where people meet, conversations take place and communities come together,” he said.
Chow noted that a new generation of independent cafés, local roasters and professional baristas is building on this long-standing tradition through the specialty coffee movement.
He said the industry extends far beyond cafés, involving farmers, green coffee traders, roasters, café owners, equipment suppliers, educators and other professionals across the value chain.
“The growth of specialty coffee is not simply about selling coffee. It is about skills, entrepreneurship, employment and opportunities across a wider ecosystem,” he said.
Highlighting the sector’s economic potential, Chow said Penang’s economy expanded by 7.3% in 2025 to RM130.3 billion, outperforming the national growth rate of 5.2%.
He added that domestic tourism expenditure in Malaysia reached RM121.3 billion in 2025, with food and beverages accounting for 16.1% of total spending.
“These figures remind us that food and beverage is not simply about consumption. It is an important part of our tourism and services economy.
“For Penang, the question is how we capture more of this opportunity,” he said.
Chow said Penang is well-positioned to capitalise on the growing specialty coffee industry, given its strong coffee identity rooted in heritage.
“We do not have to create a coffee identity from scratch. Our opportunity is to connect that heritage with the creativity, skills and entrepreneurship of a new generation,” he said.
He pointed to the recent hosting of the Northern Edition of Malaysia Coffee Week 2026 and the preliminary round of the Malaysia National Coffee Championship in George Town as evidence of Penang’s growing role in the industry.
“This is a positive indication that Penang is increasingly becoming a platform where the coffee industry can lead, compete, learn and grow together,” he said.
In conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, Chow said coffee can become an authentic tourism experience that allows visitors to explore neighbourhoods, discover local businesses and engage with local communities.
He welcomed the introduction of the Penang Coffee Map and encouraged industry players to further develop it into a coffee trail linking traditional kopitiams, specialty cafés, local roasters and heritage neighbourhoods across both the island and mainland.
“I hope this can eventually connect more parts of Penang so that more local businesses and communities can participate in this growing ecosystem,” he said.
Chow also called for greater investment in young talent through professional skills development, competitions and entrepreneurship opportunities within the coffee industry.
“Our traditional coffee culture represents our heritage. Our specialty coffee movement represents a new generation of skills, creativity and enterprise.
“We should not choose between the old and the new. We should bring them together and allow both to strengthen each other,” he added.
Festival organising chairman Tan Hui Chuen said she hopes to see Penang strengthen its reputation as a specialty coffee destination, complementing its well-established status as a hub for heritage, culture and food.
“Penang’s specialty coffee scene has grown steadily in recent years, driven by increasing consumer interest and the emergence of more cafés and coffee businesses across the state,” she said.
She added that Penang is home to many talented baristas, roasters, traders and suppliers.
The Penang Coffee Festival 2026 is organised by the Penang Specialty Coffee Society and brings together coffee professionals, exhibitors, vendors and enthusiasts from across the country.
The three-day event runs from today until Sunday, from 10am to 10pm.
Also in attendance were Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong, Pulau Tikus assemblyman Joshua Woo, Sungai Puyu assemblyman Phee Syn Tze, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk A. Rajendran and Sunshine Central Penang managing director Datuk Hwang Thean Long.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Siew Chia En
Video by Law Suun Ting