% Arabica set for Vietnam debut  

(Source: Instagram)

Japanese coffee chain % Arabica is expanding into Vietnam, opening its first brick-and-mortar store there next week, in collaboration with Hong Kong-based investment company The Kho Group.

After announcing the location of the first store three years ago, % Arabica has finally completed the store fitout inside Ho Chi Minh City’s popular ‘Cafe Apartments’ building on the city’s bustling Nguyen Hue walking street.  

The 100sqm cafe, designed by the French creative studio Cigue, incorporates the brand’s trademark simple and clean design approach adding local architectural elements. 

“Locations are one of the most important factors for % Arabica when opening in new regions,” Vynce Nguyen, GM of The Kho Group told Inside Retail. “After the team did some extensive location scouting, they fell in love with the Nguyen Hue cafe apartment building.”

Nguyen said % Arabica hopes to offer customers a new coffee experience in a market already known for its coffee-drinking culture. The Vietnamese store will serve from a menu the company uses in other markets. 

“We asked ourselves whether Vietnam was going to be ready for another overseas brand coming into the market. But we believe in the brand and the quality of the coffee,” Nguyen added. 

% Arabica also disclosed that it plans to launch the second location in the city before rolling out more stores in other Vietnamese cities, including Hoi An, Hanoi and Phu Quoc. 

“Covid-19 definitely had an impact on our plans as it slowed everything down. When we finalised the location, Vietnam was going through tough Covid-19 rules where the whole F&B industry was still shut down, borders were still closed, and logistics were shut down which made things very hard for us.” 

In addition, % Arabica reported it is currently working on the construction of a second store in town, which will be located in the rebuilt Diamond Plaza. The second store will be on level 5 and will feature the brand’s Terrace 34 dining concept.

Founded by Kenneth Shoji, % Arabica opened its first store in Japan and has now expanded into many other markets including Mainland China, Cambodia, the US, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It introduced the South Korean flagship store in September and also plans to expand its footprint into Canada, India, France and the Philippines. 

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