BackStories » Saigon » Starbucks CEO Says Company Will Open Hundreds of Stores in Vietnam

On the heels of a successful launch in Vietnam, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, announced that the American coffee chain will open hundreds of stores in the country.

Before opening its 2-story flagship store on Le Lai St., many thought that Starbucks would face serious challenges due to Vietnam’s long and rich love affair with coffee.

Trung Nguyen Coffee owner, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, espoused the benefits of Vietnamese coffee, stating that Vietnamese prefer the “thick, oily” brew to “coffee-flavoured water with sugar in it.”

While Starbucks has exceeded its sales targets in Saigon, some say the chain could still do more to adapt to their new market:

"Nguyen Van Minh Khanh, 24, said Starbucks should use drip filters perched on top of glass mugs, the way the Vietnamese do. If Starbucks wants to succeed in Vietnam, they have to change the way they serve.”

The company is putting an emphasis on its Asia expansion and plans to double the number of stores in Thailand to 320 and expand into Myanmar within the next couple of years.

We'll stick with our VND12,000 street coffee. 

[Adweek]

 

Related Articles

in Saigon

$100,000 Diamond Allegedly Vanishes From Woman’s Finger In HCMC Hotel

A Hanoi woman claims that she was drugged at a HCMC hotel last weekend and awoke to find that a $100,000 diamond had been pried from her ring.

in Saigon

100-Year-Old Trees In Front Of Opera House Cut Down To Make Way For Metro

Flower Street and the statues in front of Bến Thành Market aren’t the only sacrifices being made to accommodate the construction of Saigon’s first metro line.

in Saigon

122-Year-Old Saigon Woman Confirmed As World’s Oldest

The World Records Association (WRA) has completed the verification process and officially confirmed Saigon’s 122-year-old Nguyen Thi Tru, as the world’s oldest woman.

in Saigon

160 Wood Benches Being Added To Nguyen Hue Street

The trees that were cut down last July during construction of the metro station in front of the Saigon Opera House are making a comeback in the form of benches.

in Saigon

18,600 Trees to Be Cut for Tourist Road Through Can Gio

Saigon authorities have given the go-ahead for a US$8.7 million road through the UNESCO recognized Can Gio biosphere reserve that will necessitate the felling of 18,600 trees.

in Saigon

2 Foreigners Arrested for iPhone Snatching

In a reminder that crime transcends race, 2 foreigners were arrested last Friday for stealing an iPhone from a local woman in District 1. The 2 thieves were identified as Sean Douglas, 17, an Austral...

Partner Content