Thailand’s Café Amazon exits Vietnam after five years

Thailand’s Café Amazon exits Vietnam after five years

Amazon Café, the largest coffee chain in Thailand, has withdrawn from the Vietnamese market after five years. The chain, which entered Vietnam in November 2020, closed its last stores on November 18.

A management representative confirmed to the media that all locations have stopped serving customers. However, any formal announcement regarding the exit must come from the brand’s headquarters in Thailand.

Across Ho Chi Minh City, Café Amazon stores have taken down their signage, vacated leased properties, and in several cases, have already been replaced by new tenants. The chain’s Vietnam social media page also now issues an automated message stating that it has “officially ceased operations”.

The retreat had been anticipated since early October, when Central Plaza Hotel Public Co., Ltd. (Centel) notified the Stock Exchange of Thailand of its decision to dissolve ORC Coffee Passion Group (ORCG), the joint venture operating Café Amazon in Vietnam.

ORCG is owned 40 per cent by Central Restaurants Group (a Centel subsidiary) and 60 per cent by PTTOR International Holdings (Singapore), part of PTT Oil and Retail Business. Centel cited the need to “redefine business priorities” and adjust to market challenges as reasons for ending the venture. By August 31, Centel had invested $1.72 million into the partnership.

Café Amazon entered the country with its signature “refreshing oasis” store concept, similar to its outlets in Thailand. The chain also localised its menu, adding Vietnamese-style brewed coffee, teas, and seasonal drinks alongside Thai-style coffee and milk tea.

However, growth remained limited. At the time of its exit, the brand operated around 12 stores, mainly in Ho Chi Minh City, with a few in Can Tho, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long. This footprint fell short of initial expansion ambitions and paled in comparison with Vietnam’s leading coffee chains.

The market is dominated by strong domestic and international players such as Highlands Coffee, Phuc Long, Katinat, Trung Nguyen Legend Café, and Starbucks. Highlands Coffee alone boasted 928 stores as of late September, and recently reported its highest quarterly profit in two years.

Across Asia, Café Amazon remains one of the continent’s largest coffee brands with more than 5,000 stores, mostly in Thailand and often located at petrol stations, a strategic advantage the brand could not replicate in Vietnam.

According to Inside Retail Asia, Café Amazon sold more than 107 million cups of coffee in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, up nearly 5 per cent from the same period in 2024 across all markets. Going forward, the chain plans to concentrate its expansion efforts in Laos, the Philippines, Japan, Oman, and Bahrain through a franchising model.

VIR