Vietnamese coffee giant Trung Nguyen opened a franchise in Singapore’s Changi Airport last week under the company’s new franchising image.

The 150sq.m shop, in a favourable location, which opened on September 5, showcases Viet Nam’s coffee-drinking culture, with its personal filters and robusta coffee.

The establishment of the office on the island country is part of the company’s strategy to become a competitive brand in the world coffee market.

"Singapore is considered a gateway of Asia and the world with many important international airline routes. Changi Airport is one of the biggest airports in the region with arrivals from businessmen and tourists," said Vo Thi Ha Giang, the company’s foreign affairs manager. "It will be a suitable place for Trung Nguyen to spread its brand name."

She noted that the island country offers favourable conditions for foreign firms to establish their businesses.

Giang added that in the first year of operations in Singapore, the company would focus on building a world-class coffee brand- name as well as a new way of franchising, rather than revenue.

The company had previously franchised seven outlets abroad, however the airport location represents the first franchise under Trung Nguyen’s new image.

While the outlet conforms to international standards of franchising, the difference lies in its distinctly Vietnamese appearance.

The cafe offers coffee from around the world, with blends from Brazil, Jamaica, Ethiopia and Viet Nam’s own robusta coffee.

Viet Nam is the largest exporter of robusta coffee in the world.

Singaporean Ang Gee Beng, Trung Nguyen’s manager in charge of franchising, said the firm consulted international design and business experts to create a new image for its franchise.

By the end of the year, three more shops are expected to be licensed in Singapore.

Viet Nam’s neighbour China will be the next market where Trung Nguyen intends to build a franchise under its new image, as one of the world’s largest and fastest growing markets. The company has an advantage in that Chinese people already have a strong tea and coffee-drinking culture.

The company also plans to expand its appeal to an increasing number of overseas Vietnamese.

The company also plans to open 10 outlets under the new image in Ha Noi and HCM City, and to renovate old franchises in Viet Nam.

Trung Nguyen is scheduled to unveil a 20,000sq.m Coffee Culture Centre in the central highlands city of Buon Ma Thuot, coinciding with Buon Ma Thuot’s Coffee Festival. The five-day event from December 10-14 this year will be an opportunity for the company to display its new franchise image.

Trung Nguyen Coffee, founded in 1996 in Buon Ma Thuot in Dac Lac Province, is a domestic company with over 1,000 coffee shops nation-wide and in foreign countries including the US, China, Singapore and Japan.

Theo VNS