STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Successful opening for Wayne’s Coffee in Vietnam. When the Swedish coffee-shop Wayne’s Coffee opened its first café in Vietnam at June 14, it was an instant hit. National media covered the opening, where one of the guests was the Swedish ambassador in Vietnam.
The new coffee-shop is located in the 10th district of Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). More countries are in the pipeline.
Other than the Swedish ambassador Pereric Högberg, global CEO of Wayne’s Coffee Mats Hörnell also attended the grand opening in Ho Chi Minh City. And of course, the local master franchisee and CEO of the company Arya Consumer, Dung Dính Nguyen, was also present.
“The dream of a new meeting place”
The grand opening, celebrated with Swedish flags and baristas from Sweden, was broadly covered by National media. The coverage included features in the public TV channel VTV as well as articles in the newspapers Nhan Dan och Vietnam Economic Times. Nhan Dan described the new coffee chain in these words: “The concept of Wayne’s Coffee began with the dream of having a new meeting place for everyone, a space that is urban but close to home to enjoy time together over great food and drinks.” CEO Mats Hörnell comments on the opportunities for Wayne’s Coffee to succeed in Vietnam:
– I’m so grateful for the warm reception that we’ve gotten so far in Vietnam, especially from our guests! The new café is off to a flying start these first couple of weeks, and I’m really positive about the outcome. I look forward to see Wayne’s Coffee become a well-known and established coffee chain in Vietnam.
Spreading the Swedish “fika” culture
Wayne’s Coffee’s mission is to spread the Swedish “fika” culture (the country’s word for having a coffee break) around the world, but still being open and sensitive to local culture and current traditions. This has had an effect on the menu on the café in Vietnam. It looks a bit different than in for example Sweden. One localization is offering Vietnamese coffee, which largely differs from the standard coffee offered at Wayne’s
Coffee in other countries
– The Vietnamese mix consists of 10% Robusta beans and 10% Arabica beans. Simply put, it’s the exact opposite compared to our traditional mix. In Vietnam we also adjust to the Vietnamese tradition of using condensed milk to get some extra sweetness and serve the coffee with some ice, says Mats Hörnell.
Expansion in Southeast Asia
It is already decided that there will be a second café in Ho Chi Minh City, but that’s not all. Last week’s premiere is part of Wayne’s Coffee’s long-term strategy for the region. There are plans for an expansion into other parts of Southeast Asia, and contracts with master franchisees for that area has already been signed.
– We want to show that Wayne’s Coffee is a strong concept in different cultures. We’re really looking forward to our other openings in Vietnam and other countries by the end of this year, says Mats Hörnell
