Innovation

Pottery cups are neither new technology nor new production. Pottery products are seen as a souvenir to tourists only. As a result, the idea of using pottery cups for takeaway orders is new to the market. Therefore, the concept of pottery cups usage to takeaways order can consider as environmentally friendly innovation.

Inspiration

The main inspiration to pottery cups usage Al Diyafa Tea Café is the Omani culture. For instance, Al-Hinai says " the decision of usage pottery cups inspired by the city that I live in which is Nizwa". To illustrate, Al-Hinai lives in Oman in Nizwa, where the pottery industry is very famous and considered an ancient industry. Moreover, Al-Hinai says that he thinks about pottery cups every time he walks in the Nizwa souq. Besides, the old generation in Oman used to drink and cook in pottery products. However, pottery production usage declines when the Chines goods start to be available everywhere in Oman. As a result, Al-Hinai says that I want to use pottery cups to introduce our culture to the tourists and new generation. Al-Hinai feels that he needs to keep the Oman culture alive and pass it to the new generation. Additionally, Al-Hinai states that "I elevate my business level before I start to use pottery cups at Al Diyafa Tea Café," because Al-Hinai thinks that he introduces Omani culture with the pottery cups. Thus, the Omani culture and the old generation inspired Al-Hinai to use pottery cups at Al Diyafa Tea Café.

Overall impact

In the short term, the usage of pottery cups to the takeaway orders will help Oman's pottery industry sustain. Moreover, pottery cups usage in small and big businesses helps introduce the Oman culture to both the new generation and tourists in a practical way. To explain more, the pottery products in Oman have a unique shape and made up by 100 per cent local materials. Therefore, in the long run, pottery cups' usage will help Oman's economic growth and reduce plastic use in restaurants and cafes.

Business benefit

There are two primary business benefits of using pottery cups. Pottery cups are considered as sustainable products made of local materials. Moreover, the usage of pottery cups in businesses like Al Diyafa Tea Café contributes to Oman's economic growth in many ways. To explain more, tourism in the world stopped during the pandemic, making the souvenir market suffer from a customer shortage. As a result, the use of pottery cups at Al Diyafa Tea Café helps the pottery industry in Oman flourish and sustain during challenging times like pandemic. Therefore, usage of pottery cups in businesses aligns with good jobs and economic growth the goal number 8 of UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Moreover, Al-Hinai says that usage of pottery cups contributes to the marketing to Al Diyafa Tea Café. For instance, Al-Hinai states "many customers come to Al Diyafa Tea Café because they want to have the experience of drinking tea in pottery cup and want to take photos to their social media pages." Thus, the usage of pottery cups makes an advertisement to Al Diyafa Tea Café without almost zero budget.

Social and environmental benefit

Usage of the pottery cups in a café has many benefits to the environment and aligns with climate action, goal number 13 of UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. To explain more, the pottery cups that Al Diyafa Tea Café use have no harmful substances like dyes. Moreover, recycling pottery cups is easy and can be done by anyone. For example, Al-Hinai says that many Al Diyafa Tea Café customers like to plant leafy plants in the pottery cups. Besides, Al-Hinai states "that the pottery cups easily dissolve in the water without toxicity the water." Also, the pottery cups are environmentally friendly because if the pottery cups dumps in the land, the land does not get wasted. As a result, pottery cups do not need a complicated recycling process like plastic cups or paper cups. Thus, pottery cups' usage aligns to some UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development, such as climate action goal number 13, responsible consumption, and production goal number 12.

Although takeaway tea and hot drinks in pottery cups from Al Diyafa Tea Café are a little bit expensive, people like to buy tea and hot beverages in pottery cups. For example, Al-Hinai states that Al Diyafa Tea Café customers like the idea of purchasing a hot drink in a pottery cup because they feel that they are doing good to the environment by reducing their daily waste. Besides, Al-Hinai states that pottery cups usage does not reduce the rubbish dumps in a landfill only, but it represents the Omani culture since Oman famous for the pottery industry. Moreover, Al-Hinai says that he and his team made a comprehensive study for the idea of pottery cups usage at the café so they could precisely decide the number of pottery cups that they might need. Therefore, the consumption and production of the pottery cups at the Al Diyafa Tea Café are responsible.

Interview

Muhammad Abdullah Al-Hinai, Founder