APU Marketing & Management students visited the ZUS Coffee headquarters to learn how the brand expanded from a single kiosk in 2019 to over 1,000 international outlets, gaining practical insights into app-driven analytics, product innovation, and rapid scaling from Group CEO, Mr Venon Tian.

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On 7 August 2026, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) School of Marketing & Management (SoMM) organised an immersive industry visit to ZUS Coffee in Shah Alam, Selangor, giving undergraduate and postgraduate students an exclusive look inside one of Malaysia’s most formidable homegrown success stories. 

Led by Ms Harjinder Kaur, APU’s SoMM Senior Lecturer and Industry Advisory Panel Coordinator, the delegation brought together students from Digital Marketing, Business Management, E-Business, and International Business Communication programmes. 

The primary objective was to bridge academic theory with real-world practice by exploring digital transformation, brand strategy, operational excellence, and international expansion firsthand. 

The visit commenced at the ZUS Coffee headquarters, where the delegation was personally greeted by Mr Venon Tian, Group Chief Executive Officer, alongside Ms Teoh Min Chia, Executive Assistant to the GCEO, and Ms Nikkita Seth from Talent Acquisition (Malaysia & Singapore). 

Mr Tian opened the session by recounting the brand’s rapid rise from a single modest kiosk in 2019 to an empire of over 1,000 outlets across six countries.

He emphasised that ZUS Coffee was never purely about selling beverages, but was rather conceived to solve consumer pain points through proprietary technology, scalable operations, and memorable customer experiences. 

Candidly addressing early hurdles, such as building brand trust, maintaining product consistency across locations, and competing against global giants, Mr Tian illustrated how data-driven decisions turned initial friction points into growth catalysts. 

To set an engaging tone, ZUS Coffee treated the visiting delegation to a selection of signature beverages, from espresso classics to specialty matcha blends, offering students a literal taste of the brand’s vibrant identity.

One of the morning’s most compelling revelations was that traditional coffee accounts for only a fraction of the company’s revenue. 

The leadership team disclosed that approximately 70 percent of total sales actually stem from specialty fun drinks, matcha offerings, and non-coffee options.

Students learned how dedicated, specialised product innovation teams continuously formulate, test, and refine new concepts. 

Every menu item undergoes rigorous market testing, consumer evaluations, and quality assurance before reaching stores. 

For the visiting business students, this served as a textbook case study in remaining agile and pivoting product portfolios alongside shifting consumer trends.

Following the opening session, the group embarked on a behind-the-scenes tour of the headquarters to observe the operational mechanics supporting the brand’s growth.

In the product development and production area, students observed how beverage ideas moved from initial concept to nationwide rollout, gaining insights into ingredient sourcing, quality standards, and menu testing.

Moving to the marketing floor, the team demonstrated how the company’s core philosophy shaped every customer touchpoint, from social campaigns and influencer partnerships to app-based loyalty schemes. 

The finance department introduced the core financial mechanisms supporting rapid expansion, focusing on cash flow management, unit economics, forecasting, and risk control. 

Finally, the technology division revealed the inner workings of the ZUS App, demonstrating that far from being a simple ordering tool, the platform drives customer retention, streamlines digital payments, monitors real-time inventory, and generates predictive consumer analytics.

Reconvening in the auditorium, Mr Tian delivered an in-depth corporate presentation outlining the company’s long-term strategy, anchored by a tech-first infrastructure, customer-centric innovation, and operational efficiency. 

He addressed the complexities of international expansion, highlighting how localised marketing allowed the brand to respect cultural nuances abroad without diluting its core identity. 

Underperforming products, he noted, were quickly phased out through rapid decision-making, while high-performing innovations were scaled across markets.

The floor then opened for an animated Question & Answer session, where students posed sharp queries covering international market entry, supply chain resilience, leadership dynamics, and franchise models, while also addressing key topics in talent acquisition and brand strategy. 

Ms Nikkita Seth outlined prospective career pathways and internship tracks spanning Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Finance, and Product Development, urging students to view early career roles as avenues for skill acquisition and networking. 

In an intriguing segment on brand identity, the team dispelled common myths surrounding the ZUS logo. 

Contrary to the popular belief that the emblem depicted Zeus from Greek mythology, the founders actually created an original coffee bean founder character, illustrating how distinct narrative design fosters strong emotional connections with consumers. 

Ni Luh Dhamayanti, a Digital Marketing student, shared her surprise at learning that seventy percent of sales came from fun drinks rather than traditional coffee, noting how deeply the company understood consumer variety and market demand. 

Business Management student Myat Mon Aung reflected that her biggest takeaway was realising ZUS Coffee was fundamentally a technology-driven brand, adding that seeing how data directly influenced operational decisions was eye-opening.

Zikrunnahar, studying International Business Communication, pointed out that learning how the company scaled from one kiosk to over 1,000 outlets by establishing their app and payment systems first proved the value of strong foundational planning before expanding. 

Meanwhile, Digital Marketing student Aieyan Masood shared that discovering the real story behind the logo showed how custom storytelling can build an authentic brand identity, and fellow Digital Marketing student Chin Lok Nee expressed that seeing the corporate culture in person gave her a fresh perspective on how successful brands operate from within.

Summarising the value of the experience, Ms Harjinder Kaur highlighted that every industry visit opens a window to possibilities, where future graduates engage with visionary leaders, transform knowledge into insight, and discover how innovation, courage, and purpose shape remarkable organisations. 

To conclude the visit, Ms Kaur presented a commemorative memento to Mr Venon Tian on behalf of the University, marking the strong partnership between academia and industry. 

The afternoon wrapped up with a group photograph, leaving students with actionable industry insights, valuable professional connections, and renewed inspiration for their future careers.