Aussie café chain expands into Thailand
Australian café franchise The Coffee Club is expanding its presence in Thailand, with four outlets now open and a fifth in the works.
The company opened its first location in Febuary 2009, and has since doubled its revenue. Outlets are now open in Pattaya and Bangkok airport, and two in Phuket.
According to The Coffee Club’s Thailand General Manager Michael Chick, the aim is to have a total of seven cafés before the end of 2010, with a focus on securing a high-street location in Bangkok.
“A number of factors are contributing to The Coffee Club’s success here. Firstly, Thailand has a maturing coffee culture, so our hope is that we educate local and international customers about what excellent coffee truly is.”
“Secondly, our customer-base is very location-specific; places like Phuket predominately attract tourists whereas The Coffee Club Pattaya attracts a combination of tourists, expats and local Thais. With this in mind, it has been crucially important to show an understanding of the local community and adapt to their needs.”
“We’ve ensured our menu has a wide selection of Western and Thai food, which appeals to the widest possible customer-base and keeps true to our commitment of serving Good Food at a competitive price,” said Chick.
Last year, Minor International – one of the largest hospitality and leisure companies in the Asia Pacific region – took a 50 per cent stake in The Coffee Club, fuelling its international expansion into Thailand and New Zealand, where it now has 30 stores.
