KAWAUCHI, Japan – The Cafe Amazon chain of coffee houses popular in Thailand aims to take on the big global operators in Japan under an ambitious expansion programme in that country, the Japanese franchisee says.
The first Cafe Amazon in Japan opened in Kawauchi, a village in the Futaba district of Fukushima prefecture, in November last year.
Franchisee Yasunori Iwamoto said that about 100 outlets would be opened in Japan over the next three years, at an average investment of 100 million yen (Bt29.9 million) per store. The pace of expansion would bring the chain into competition with the likes of Starbucks and Tully’s Coffee.
The Cafe Amazon brand was established in 2002 by PTT, a major oil and gas company listed in Thailand. Some 1,700 outlets have since opened across Thailand.
Iwamoto, who is also the president of Codomo Energy, a Japan-based manufacturer of luminous ceramic tiles in the building industry, said the company was considering setting up a production plant for the tiles in Thailand.
“I want our first Cafe Amazon coffee house in Kawauchi to be a place for the local community to take some time out and enjoy a comfortable space that is similar to their own home,” said Iwamoto, who added that he became a fan of the brand’s coffee and store atmosphere during a visit to Thailand. That prompted the idea to introduce the chain to Japan.
“In addition to establishing the first Cafe Amazon in Kawauchi, we also plan to open Cafe Amazon outlets at Shonan in Kanagawa, Shizuoka, and in Osaka before the end of this year,” Iwamoto said.
Iwamoto said the company would then expand to other locations including Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Nagoya. Each Cafe Amazon coffee house is expected to see a return on investment within three years.
Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
