Representatives cut the ribbon to inaugurate the store in Lotte Mall West Lake in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Mai Hương

HÀ NỘI — Starbucks Việt Nam celebrated its 10-year journey in Việt Nam with a grand opening of their 100th store in Lotte Mall West Lake in Hà Nội on Saturday.

In February 2013, Starbucks marked its footprint in Việt Nam by opening its first store in HCM City. Since then, it has steadily expanded its presence and now operates in nine cities and provinces across the country.

“Over the past 10 years, Starbucks Vietnam has grown from strength to strength, achieving significant milestones that have helped cement our position as a leading brand in the Vietnamese market,” said general manager of Starbucks Vietnam, Patricia Marques.

“As we continue to grow, we remain committed to our core values, ethical sourcing, community engagement and environmental sustainability.”

She also shared some of the initiatives aimed at transforming the company into a more sustainable and plastic-free entity, such as the zero food waste and compost programme implemented in multiple stores throughout Việt Nam.

Located in a new entertainment and shopping complex in Hà Nội, the 100th store is designed to pay homage to the beautiful natural environment through a selected blue accent colour and a warm material palette.

In an effort to honour Việt Nam’s rich coffee heritage and and introduce Vietnamese coffee culture to the global stage, Starbucks Vietnam on Saturday also launched the new Starbucks Reserve™ Vietnam Đưng K’Nớ.

This blend is sourced from the Central Highlands of Việt Nam and remote town of Đưng K’Nớ – home to the K’Ho people – a matriarchal indigenous community where 82 smallholder farmers work diligently to preserve the cultural traditions while embracing responsible farming practices.

This marks the second such initiative in Việt Nam, following the introduction of Starbucks Reserve™ Vietnam Đà Lạt in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020. Starbucks’ reserved coffee lines are locally purchased.

According to an August report by iPOS.vn on Việt Nam's F&B market in the first six months of 2023, the market displayed strong volatility, with most businesses either witnessing a decrease in revenue or maintaining similar figures compared to the same period the previous year. However, many businesses remain optimistic about a market turnaround.

A survey of 200 restaurant and cafe owners indicated that 40.1 percent of F&B businesses anticipate positive signals in business activities in the second half of 2023. This shows, despite certain challenges, Việt Nam is still regarded as a "fertile land" for international brands in the F&B sector. — VNS