Swedish cafe chain Wayne’s Coffee has opened its first outlet in China.
The new store on Shanghai’s Nanjing Xi Lu serves coffee, sandwiches and Swedish pastries to consumers. The move represents a courageous first step in a market dominated by international and local competitors.
China is Wayne’s second market in Asia after the brand launched in Vietnam in June last year. It currently operates seven locations in Ho Chi Minh City.
While the brand has been criticised for lacking a distinctive look and presumed by some observers to be a local Starbucks clone, the brand has in fact been running in Sweden since 1994, where it was the first venue in the country to serve cafe latte. It was also the first to serve the latte in Saudi Arabia when it opened there in 2010.
Wayne’s more aggressive expansion phase was recognised when the brand won “Franchise chain of the year 2017” in Stockholm. It currently operates more than 140 locations internationally.