VIETNAM- Hong Kong-based food service franchisee Maxim’s Group has launched its 1,000th Starbucks outlet in East Asia in Vietnam.
The new outlet was launched in the capital, Hanoi, at the Diamond Plaza shopping centre.
Maxim Group praised the move, describing it as a unique milestone since it opened its first franchised store in Hong Kong in 2000.
The franchisee has since expanded its presence in East Asia through additional outlets in Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Macau, Vietnam and Thailand.
Maxim Group operates 507 Starbucks outlets in Thailand, 163 outlets in Hong Kong, 143 in Singapore and 115 outlets in Vietnam.
Norbert Tan, Maxim Group’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We had 126 Starbucks stores in two territories when I first led our Starbucks portfolio in 2012, and I count myself super lucky to be part of this growth story.”
“[I am] proud of our over 10,000 partners who put on their green apron every day serving the 1,000 communities we operate today.”
The expansion is a reflection of both Starbucks’ and Maxim Group’s aggressive expansion strategy in East Asia.
In June the coffeehouse chain opened its 500thlocation in Thailand, a drive-thru store in Bangkok. During the launch, Starbucks revealed plans of opening 800 outlets in Thailand by 2030 through its franchisee partnership with players like Maxim Group.
The coffeehouse chain expressed its intention to work with Coffee Concepts Thailand, a joint venture formed by the Singaporean food and beverage company F^N and Hong Kong’s Maxim’s Group.
Patricia Marques, Starbucks Vietnam’s General Manager, said, “Being able to serve coffee from Vietnam to our customers here is a special experience that every Starbucks barista in Vietnam cherishes. I can see the pride in our partners when they take the first sip of the Starbucks Reserve Vietnam Dung K’No coffee.“
Maxim Group was founded in 1956 and has since expanded to operate more than 2,000 outlets in East Asia across a diverse foodservice portfolio.
Its franchisee portfolio includes chains like Jasmine and Jade Garden, apart from Starbucks. It also licenses international quick service brands like Thai Basil, Genki Sushi, Shake Shack and The Cheesecake Factory.
Maxim’s Group also produces a range of festive products, including the award-winning Hong Kong MX Mooncakes.
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