Vietnamese franchise ventures into turf of S. Korean hipsters

By Park Sae-jin Posted : July 31, 2018, 18:12 Updated : July 31, 2018, 18:12

[Courtesy of Con Caffe]


SEOUL -- Cong Caffe, a prominent Vietnamese coffee franchise, has bravely set its foot in the hipster paradise of Seoul, amid cut-throat competition among tens of thousands of coffee shops nationwide.

Cong Caffe opened its first overseas store in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul's hippest spot, on Tuesday. Cong Caff stores in Vietnam are popular among South Korean tourists who wish to take shelter from the heat and indulge in the sweetness of coconut smoothie, the chain's signature menu, and the bitter aroma of dark roasted coffee.

The franchise, which strategically positions itself as a super-premium brand, brought construction materials from its homeland to create a trademark retro-style coffee shop in Seoul. Cong Caffe's baristas in Seoul were trained in Vietnam to attract picky consumers with exotic Vietnamese-style drinks.
 

[Courtesy of Con Caffe]


"We are happy to open our first store, full of the taste, the culture and the emotional sense of Vietnam, in Seoul," a Con Caffe official told Aju News, adding the franchise will develop its flagship store to become the symbol of exchanges between South Korea and Vietnam.

Con Caffe began its business as a small coffee shop in Hanoi in 2007. It now has more than 50 stores in Vietnam and uses exotic coffee beans harvested from the highlands in central Vietnam.
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