The Vietnamese coffee brand "Nau Coffee" held simultaneous pop-ups at 12 locations across San Francisco on June 6, 2026. Lines of 30 minutes to nearly an hour formed at each spot, and it became a talking point locally as an event symbolizing the global expansion of Vietnamese-style Robusta coffee.
Lines at 12 locations across the city, all at once
On June 6, 2026, Nau Coffee rolled out simultaneous pop-ups at 12 locations across San Francisco. Each venue was so busy that customers waited from 30 minutes to nearly an hour, and many shops sold out in about three hours. Each location sold roughly 300-400 cups, with sales reaching over 2,000 dollars per venue.
"There's pho and banh mi, but no coffee"
The founders are two people: Tran Hieu Han (27) and Nguyen Duc Trung Kien (25). Aware that while pho and banh mi have taken root locally, distinctive Vietnamese Robusta coffee had yet to establish itself in the city's coffee culture, they set out to bring Vietnam's sidewalk café culture over. They use specialty Robusta imported directly from Vietnam.
The business crossed its break-even point at the third pop-up and turned profitable. Their Instagram and TikTok videos have drawn views and shares in the hundreds of thousands, and they have realized collaborations with companies such as Aurora Studio, coffee-equipment maker Fellow, and Vinamilk.
Menu and prices
| Menu | Item / price |
|---|---|
| Cà phê sữa đá | Iced Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk |
| Egg coffee | Rich coffee made with egg |
| Salt coffee | Coffee with salt |
| Price | 7 dollars a cup (about 1,050 yen, at 150 yen to the dollar) |
Local and industry reaction
- Lines formed at each location, with venue after venue selling out in about three hours
- Social media videos spread to the tune of hundreds of thousands of views, becoming a talking point mainly among younger people
- Similar Vietnamese coffee pop-ups have appeared in New York and Texas too
While established brands such as Trung Nguyen Legend push ahead with physical stores, a growing number of upstarts are attacking nimbly with pop-up formats.
Impact for readers in Japan
Vietnamese coffee, marked by the sweetness of condensed milk and the richness of Robusta, is seeing a rise in specialty shops in Japan too. The lines in the U.S. back up the value of a cup drunk on the spot. If you visit Vietnam, sipping ca phe sua da while sitting on a plastic stool on the sidewalk is an experience not to be missed.
The pleasure of traveling to the growing regions themselves is spreading too.Buon Ma Thuot, the coffee capitalis drawing attention as a destination for "drink tourism," andDa Lat's sky cafe "Horizon Coffee"scenic shops such as this are also popular.
Ripple effects on the coffee industry
Vietnam is one of the world's leading Robusta producers, but in recent years it has been pushing the shift to specialty coffee.Making the case for its specialty shift at a Berlin trade fairandHigh marks at the Vietnam Amazing CupAlongside these, expanding overseas recognition through pop-ups is a move that lifts the brand value of the growing regions.
Summary
Nau Coffee's simultaneous pop-ups at 12 San Francisco locations showed that Vietnamese coffee is working its way into American urban culture. The fact that lines form even at 7 dollars a cup is a sign of trust in the taste. On your next trip, savor an authentic cup at a local sidewalk café.
