Highlands Coffee, the caf\u00e9 chain whose red logo you spot all over Vietnam, reached its 1,000th store in Vietnam on June 12, 2026. The store chosen for the milestone is a flagship on the shore of West Lake (Tay Ho), one of Hanoi\u2019s finest scenic spots, at 28 Thanh Nien Street. It\u2019s operated by a group under the major Philippine food company Jollibee, and it\u2019s also a milestone opening ahead of a planned listing in Vietnam in Q1 2027. For Japanese travelers visiting Hanoi, it\u2019s clear good news: another new spot where you can enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee while gazing at the lake.<\/p>\n
According to reports by local economic media, Highlands Coffee opened its 1,000th store in Vietnam on the shore of West Lake as a symbolic move ahead of its IPO. The lakeside location gives a sense that the chain is steering from a \u201cbrand that just adds numbers\u201d toward a \u201cbrand that can sell scenery and experience.\u201d The picture is of a brand that began from a small roasting counter in Hanoi in 1999 arriving, over a quarter century, at the point of establishing a flagship in a landmark-class location in the country.<\/p>\n
Worth noting is that this is discussed not as a mere opening commemoration but as a set with IPO preparations. A company ahead of a listing placing a \u201cmilestone store\u201d in a scenic spot aims to show the brand\u2019s prestige to both investors and consumers. Put in a traveler\u2019s terms, it can be read as a sign that investment is flowing toward \u201cstore-making with high satisfaction even for tourist visits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Highlands Coffee is a coffee chain founded in Hanoi in 1999 by Vietnamese-American David Thai. Known also as an early case of an overseas-resident Vietnamese registering a company domestically, it\u2019s positioned as a pioneer of Vietnam\u2019s modern caf\u00e9 chains.<\/p>\n
The turning point was in 2012, when the Philippine food conglomerate Jollibee (Jollibee Foods Corporation) invested. After subsequent reorganization, the current structure has Jollibee holding 60% of the shares of parent company SuperFoods Group. A chain that had 56 stores at the time of Jollibee\u2019s investment has now grown to a scale of over 1,000 stores at home and abroad.<\/p>\n
Vietnam has high coffee consumption per capita, a country where street-corner caf\u00e9s double as venues for socializing, business talks, and rest all at once. In addition to a distinctive drinking-style culture typified by ca phe sua da, which uses plenty of condensed milk, the habit of lingering at modern air-conditioned chain stores has taken root in urban areas. Highlands is one company that has led this trend of \u201cselling comfort,\u201d and its decision to place a milestone flagship in a scenic spot can be understood in this context.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a summary of figures that could be corroborated on a reporting basis. Note that annual cups and employee counts have limited sources, so treat them as reported figures rather than definitive.<\/p>\n