Trung Nguyen Legend, a major coffee company representative of Vietnam, has closed its flagship store in the heart of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City. At the same time, the company opened three new stores at almost the same time. Vietnamese economic media outlet CafeBiz reported in 2026 on this "strategic shift," pursuing both a retreat from a prime location and expansion into new spaces at once. The company, led by founder Dang Le Nguyen Vu, frames it as "not a contraction, but a shift to spaces with a new story."
The flagship store near Notre-Dame Cathedral closed on March 6
The store that closed was at 07 Nguyen Van Chiem in District 1, and it shut on March 6, 2026. It was a premium flagship in one of central Ho Chi Minh City's finest locations, close to Notre-Dame Cathedral and Diamond Plaza. Because it was a symbolic presence embodying the brand concept of "the world of Trung Nguyen coffee," its closure gave Vietnam's coffee industry no small surprise.
ほぼ同時期に3店を新設——「縮小ではなく転換」
What's notable is that at almost the same time as the flagship closure, on March 3, 2026, the company opened three new spaces. The new stores are being rolled out in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (specific addresses undisclosed). The company's management explains the series of moves not as a downsizing of the business but as "a move to new spaces with a new story." Rather than clinging to high-rent prime locations, it is shifting its footing to spaces where the brand experience has been redesigned—that intent shows through.
The store-reshuffle moves (overview)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Closed store | 07 Nguyen Van Chiem (District 1, HCMC, flagship) |
| Closing date | March 6, 2026 |
| New openings | 3 stores (Hanoi and HCMC, March 3, 2026) |
| Strategic focus | Optimizing prime locations + expanding the E-Coffee franchise |
*Details on specific rents, sales, and reasons for closure have not been disclosed.
A multi-layered brand structure and market environment
Trung Nguyen Legend operates a combination of several formats: premium experiential spaces, the E-Coffee franchise network, and "G7" instant coffee for overseas markets. This flagship closure is positioned as a move to rethink how it uses its most crowd-drawing prime locations, amid a market environment of high rents in the central business district and fierce competition. Maintaining the premium experience while expanding franchises nationwide—it is trying to reconcile this two-front strategy through the store reshuffle.
Local reactions
While coffee lovers lament, "It's sad that the store near that cathedral is gone," many also take it positively: "Rent in a prime location is a considerable burden. I look forward to the new space." Industry figures offered analyses such as, "Moving from a prime-location showcase store to a space that prioritizes the brand experience is a rational decision," and, "It's a move that should be viewed together with the E-Coffee franchise expansion."
The impact on travelers and Vietnam lovers
Travelers in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City who were counting on Trung Nguyen Legend's flagship store will want to check the latest store information before visiting. The symbolic store in the center has closed, but the brand is rolling out new spaces in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so the places to experience Vietnamese coffee culture are not disappearing. Rather, what kind of experience the new concept stores present will be a fresh pleasure for coffee-loving travelers.
The reshuffling trend in Vietnam's coffee industry
This move reflects a trend in which Vietnam's coffee chains shift their footing from "prime-location flagships" to "experience design + franchise expansion." Amid soaring central-district rents and a competitive environment marked by the rise of specialty coffee and independent roasters, even the majors are being forced to rebuild their store strategies. Vietnam's coffee market is entering a new phase of balancing scale expansion with experiential value.
Enjoying coffee in Vietnam (practical information)
| Menu | Guide price | A word |
|---|---|---|
| Cà phê sữa (iced coffee with condensed milk) | About 30,000-60,000 VND (about 180-360 yen) | A staple of Vietnamese coffee |
| Egg coffee | About 40,000 to 70,000 VND (about 240 to 420 yen) | A rich cup that originated in Hanoi |
| G7 instant | Available at supermarkets and the like | Trung Nguyen products that are also popular as souvenirs |
* Reference values converted at 1 VND ≈ 0.006 yen. Varies by shop.
Summary
Trung Nguyen Legend's flagship closure and the simultaneous opening of three new stores signal a strategic shift, steering away from reliance on prime locations toward brand experience plus franchise expansion. The symbolic store has disappeared, but Vietnamese coffee culture keeps evolving in the new spaces of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. When you visit Vietnam, be sure to experience this café culture at the forefront of such reshuffling.
Related reading:
Vietnam's five biggest café trends for 2026 announced—from reishi coffee to hybrid operations, the successor to egg coffee comes into view
"Nau Coffee" in SF recreates Saigon's street cafés — a one-hour-wait line for low plastic stools and phin drip
IM:MI Coffee Roasters—In a District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Alley, Immersing in Single Origins at a Chessboard Roastery
Source:CafeBiz
