From Slump To Strategy: RAW Coffee Company’s Matt Toogood On Making Summer Count

“Summer isn’t the off-season anymore; it’s our R&D lab.”  

So says Matt Toogood, co-owner and CEO of RAW Coffee Company, a frontrunner in the UAE’s specialty coffee scene, in a conversation with Inc. Arabia about how slow months can become a time for innovation instead. 

Toogood, who has over 15 years of experience under his belt running the Dubai-based café and roastery, notes that while many businesses see their customers flee during the piping hot months of the UAE summer, the slump presents a rather unique opportunity for them to innovate and improve efficiencies. “If I could go back and save myself a few hard lessons, I’d say this: summer is not downtime, it’s development time," Toogood says. "Use it to get better, not just get by.” 

According to Toogood, leaning into the slow season is a hard-earned lesson that has come after years of taking flight from the heat, and, in the process, missing potential opportunities. “Earlier on, when Dubai was still in its infancy in terms of specialty coffee, we'd mirror our customers, and get out of the frying pan, literally," Toogood recalls. "We’d slow things right down, treat summer as hibernation. But over time, as both the market and the country matured, so did our mindset. Instead of desperately chasing revenue that wasn’t there, we leaned into the quiet. We still recharge, but summer became our most valuable strategic window, a time to think, review, plan, and sharpen our edge for the upcoming high season."

Image via RAW Coffee Company.

So, how did Toogood and his team come to realize that rather than treating summer as an inevitable slump, they could in fact utilize the slowdown to both innovate and look inward? For one, they went back to the books. “One of the smartest things we did early on, by around 2010, was rewrite our financial forecasting around a nine-month revenue model," Toogood explains. "That’s when we realized the traditional 12-month budgeting cycle didn’t reflect UAE reality.”

This realization led to a fundamental restructuring of the business during both peak and off-seasons. “What most people don’t see is that summer doesn’t just slow sales, it magnifies inefficiencies," Toogood explains. "Costs stay high. Rents don’t get cheaper. Salaries still roll. So, we shifted to a cash-flow-first model. That means being brutally honest about liquidity, maintaining buffers, and planning well ahead so we’re not scrambling when foot traffic slows.” Lower footfall also often amplifies pressure on owners to ensure that operations remain tight year-round. “People assume less customers means less stress," Toogood says. "It doesn’t [work like that]. It’s a different kind of pressure: smaller teams, still full-time expectations, and every dirham spent needs to be smart. That’s where operational discipline matters more than ever.”

To maintain such an operational discipline year-round, Toogood has become an advocate for treating summer as a strategic window that allows him and his team to balance innovation with efficiency during those leaner months. According to him, the off-season is an ideal time to test, build, and innovate, all while being conscious not to overextend his team or resources. In many cases, that means adjusting hours and testing new product lines to accommodate different customer expectations.

“This year has been a masterclass for us in summer strategy," Toogood shares. "Across the business, from the espresso bar to the roastery to sales, we sat down and honestly asked: what do we need to fix at the foundation before we build anything new? The top priority? Communication and access to information. Not sexy, but transformational. We realized we were constantly interrupting each other to find things. Fixing that meant new internal systems, clearer processes, and smarter documentation, all designed to reduce friction and empower every team member... That’s how we now approach innovation. We don’t just throw new products at the wall. We look inward, test lean ideas (like new chocolate drink recipes or customer service flows), and involve the team without burning them out. It’s structured, paced, and aligned with our long-term goals.” 

 Image via RAW Coffee Company.

In addition to tightening up operations, Toogood says that summer can offer businesses an opportunity to focus on brand-building both online and offline. That means everything from storytelling and personalizing the brand, to focusing on partnerships and collaborations with like-minded makers and communities. “We’ve shifted from brand broadcasting to storytelling and people-first content," Toogood says. "Customers told us they want to see more about the team; so, we’re showing them. Baristas, roasters, salespeople, and the people behind the scenes—they’re not just faces; they’re the heart of RAW. We also double down on forming new collaborations during the summer. Whether it’s with other local makers, sports communities, or beachside concepts like Bikeera Base fueled by RAW, these moments keep us visible without shouting. They build relevance through connection, not just promotion.”

Toogood also points out that since coffee-shop goers are usually less rushed during these months, the brand is better able to utilize the leisurely pace of summer to build long-lasting, meaningful relationships with its customer base. “Summer customers tend to linger," Toogood says. "They’re not rushing through. That makes it the perfect time for the team to slow down and really engage, conversations, storytelling, and real hospitality. Top-of-mind is earned through experience, not ads."

Given what he and his team have been doing at RAW during the summer, Toogood now urges other café businesses to rethink what seasonality actually means for themselves and their customers, particularly as more people work remotely, order online, and expect service 24/7 all year round. “The idea of ‘seasonality’ is starting to crack," Toogood says. "More people live here year-round, they travel differently, and they order differently. The café business model has to flex, digitally, physically, emotionally."

But to do this, café owners need to get down to the bottom of what their customers are actually seeking from their specialty coffee shop. And that, Toogood notes, is more than just a caffeine fix. “Here’s the thing: in a market flooded with cafés and new concepts, what customers are craving isn’t new, it’s real," Toogood declares. "We all get distracted by the magpie effect, something shiny grabs attention. But what sticks is consistency, alignment, and values. So, yes, we encourage our team to take leave during the summer. But we never drop our standards. Whether it’s July 1st or December 25th, we serve the same product, with the same ethos. The real shift isn’t about the weather; it's about customer expectations. You either meet them year-round, or you lose relevance fast.” 

Pictured in the lead image is Matt Toogood, co-owner and CEO of RAW Coffee Company. Image courtesy RAW Coffee Company.