Café Jubilee, the Gozo-born chain, is to recreate its trademark café bistro on the Malta pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, Jubilee Group of Companies chief executive officer Alex Scicluna told The Times Business.
The chain, which earlier this month inaugurated its Budapest venue, its first venture overseas, will build an integrated stand on the national pavilion with a typical Café Jubilee bar and dining area with 45 covers.
Maltese companies, including beverage manufacturer Simonds Farsons Cisk and winemaker Delicata, are to collaborate with Café Jubilee to serve their beverages bearing labelling in Chinese at the Expo.
Café Jubilee director Anthony Scicluna travels to the Chinese city this week to oversee the realisation of the latest project for this fledgling group which also runs three café bistros and three Jubilee Foods stores in Malta and Gozo.
The Expo opens its doors for six months on May 1. Over 70 million people are officially expected to visit the event which is anticipating 200 participants. This Expo's theme is "Better City, Better Life", which the organisers say represents the common wish for a better living in future urban environments.
Alex Scicluna explained the Foreign Office first approached Café Jubilee with the Expo project even before the Budapest joint venture with Corinthia Group came about.
The Scicluna family business was particularly attracted to the proposition as it fell within its long-term strategy to internationalise the brand.
Café Jubilee has been in talks with Chinese authorities to secure permits to import the Maltese products to be sold on the pavillion, with the support of Malta Expo National Commission deputy commissioner Oliver Xuereb.
With the theme 8,000 Years - A Life Centre, the Malta Pavilion will focus on the influence of tradition on contemporary urbanisation.
"Our main idea is to take the visitor on a voyage, a journey into Malta's history, its present resources and future ideas for a better city life, which we believe that even though a small island, Malta can be a good inspiration to the creation of a good city life," Malta's theme statement ex-plains.
The Malta pavilion is to feature the latest technology in intelligent lighting and audio visuals.
Light will invite visitors to walk along a pathway leading to the central area. The entire stand will feature flowing sculptural forms representing the megalithic heritage and historical urban development blending into depictions of contemporary Malta.