One Hanoi-based coffee chain is going nationwide, thanks to a sizable foreign investment.
If you've hung around the capital's fancy new marketplace The Yard recently, you've likely spotted The KAfe, a trendy cafe and eatery that emphasizes natural ingredients and healthy meals.
Now, according to Deal Street Asia, the KAfe Group Ltd, which owns four brands – The KAfe, KAfe Village, KAfe Box and The Burger Box – is on its way to nationwide growth thanks to a US$5.5 million foreign investment.
Hong Kong-based private equity firm Cassia Investments, along with a smaller London investor, recently supplied the coffeehouse chain with enough funds to expand its 12-shop outfit beyond Hanoi. Home chef and cookbook author Dao Chi Anh, who founded the company in 2013, has plans to bring KAfe Group's total number of shops up to 26 before the end of the year, opening up branches in Saigon as well as a few other major cities.
Moving forward, Cassia Investments will supply 90% of the funds for KAfe Group's expansion, with the London-based investor rounding out the final 10%. There's also talk of an overseas public listing in future, however for the moment Anh and her team will be focusing on quality control as they get KAfe Group's new outlets up and running.
[Photo via The KAfe]
