ZUS Coffee’s 'We’re closing' prank brews massive love from Malaysians

ZUS Coffee’s latest stunt proved that a little humour and authenticity can go a long way in fuelling brand love, especially when it comes from a homegrown favourite.

On Wednesday (22 October), the local coffee chain had Malaysians doing a double take when it posted a cryptic Instagram carousel with the words “We’re closing.” The post went on to say, “It’s very sudden and we’re very sorry. You guys made all our 999 outlets possible. But we couldn’t open our 1000th outlet without pausing…” before revealing the punchline midway: “Congratulations, u got scammed!”

The post, which now has over 17,000 likes, wasn’t announcing an actual closure. Instead, it was ZUS Coffee’s tongue-in-cheek way of teasing a one-day nationwide pause to celebrate its 1000th outlet milestone with its team. The brand later clarified that most outlets would close early at 6pm, while select locations, such as those at airports and premium outlets, would remain open.

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Of course, ZUS didn’t leave customers hanging. In a follow-up post, it announced a “Buy 1 Free 1” promotion for handcrafted drinks between 2pm and 5pm, sending fans rushing to the app, so much so that it crashed.

“You guys broke the app today,” ZUS said later that night in another heartfelt post, thanking Malaysians for the overwhelming response. “We underestimated the traffic… and we’ll do even better.” The brand promised refunds for payment issues and issued vouchers to customers who couldn’t log in. It ended with a teasing hint of “something bigger brewing this Friday. Hint: 1,000.”

The comments section was filled with love, jokes, and reassurance from fans telling ZUS not to apologise. Some even shared that their vouchers had already arrived within hours, praising the brand’s quick response and sense of humour.

Besides landing itself as a viral gimmick, ZUS' marketing move is a reflection of how deeply it has embedded itself in Malaysia’s consumer psyche. As one of the country’s fastest-growing local brands, ZUS recently overtook Starbucks as Malaysia’s largest coffee chain, with 743 stores compared to Starbucks’ 320. Across the region, it plans to open nearly 200 new outlets this year, including 107 in Malaysia, 80 in the Philippines, and six in Singapore, alongside first-time launches in Thailand and Indonesia.

In a market where consumers are increasingly supporting homegrown brands in light of the recent Israel-Hamas boycotts, ZUS is well positioned to stand out. This April, the "Dealing with brand boycotts" report noted that this 52% cut ties with brands associated with Israel intentionally, with a majority of the brand-boycotters (91%) stopping buying and using products from the brand as a way of protest.

Meanwhile, 71% of the study's respondents are now buying more from local coffee and restaurant chains. This includes brands such as ZUS Coffee, Tealive, Old Town White Coffee, Gigi and Bask Bear. Meanwhile, 70% opted for coffee and beverage chains from other countries including Kenangan Coffee and Chagee. 62% of the brand-boycotters chose to go for local restaurants and fast-food outlets such as Texas Chicken, while 58% picked local chocolate brands such as Beryl's.

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