Cộng Cà phê – The "subsidy-era" coffee chain reaches the world stage
When talking about famous coffee chains in Vietnam, one cannot fail to mention Cộng Cà Phê, with over 60 stores stretching from North to South, along with the sensational event of its grand opening in South Korea. More recently, on November 14, 2019, Cộng Cà Phê proudly marked its next milestone in the journey of bringing Vietnamese coffee and national spirit to international friends with its first store in Malaysia.
From a single shop on Trieu Viet Vuong Street (Hanoi), Cộng Cà Phê now owns numerous chain stores in various locations both domestically and internationally. It can be said that Cộng is one of the most successful domestic coffee brands to date.
So, what are the factors that have contributed to building Cộng into what it is today?
Mục lục
Rich national identity in every cup of coffee
With over 12 years of operation, Cộng Cà Phê has become a familiar and beloved brand among customers. It has expanded widely from North to South, with a presence in major cities. Cộng makes an impression with its unique style, deeply imbued with the cultural identity of the Vietnamese people.
Cộng Cà Phê’s unique brand-building ability, worth mentioning, is its success derived from nostalgia. Coming to Cộng Cà Phê, customers not only enjoy delicious, rich coffee but also experience a unique and creative space and service.
The interior space of Cộng Cà Phê is designed to make customers feel like they are reliving Vietnamese society during the subsidy period. It’s a space with dim lighting, peacock-patterned cushions, old bookshelves neatly arranged on the walls, and ‘posters’ with familiar slogans of that era.
Differentiation through brand positioning
Without heavily advertising its stores, Cộng Cà Phê takes a very different approach. This brand has a mission to spark imagination and provide customers with emotional experiences that are rare today. Ms. Linh Dung, the founder of Cộng Cà Phê, shared that the name ‘Cộng’ can be simply understood as evoking a heroic chapter of the country’s history, allowing customers to immerse themselves in a warm, tranquil space, completely different from the bustling crowds outside the window. Cộng offers customers historical and cultural values, full of nostalgia yet incredibly creative. The cafe retains customers, and customers remember the cafe.
Location
The locations of the cafes are very diverse. They are not only in major cities with beautiful, bustling storefronts, but you can also find Cộng on small, quiet street corners with little foot traffic. Cộng has changed customers’ perceptions that one doesn’t have to hide in a secluded corner of a quiet street to be ‘nostalgic.’ Customers can do so anywhere, even in the midst of a noisy city. A key attraction of Cộng Cà Phê is the comfort and relaxation it offers. At all Cộng locations, the spaces are designed with airy windows, allowing people to sip coffee while watching the streets. It’s wonderful to sit quietly in a corner of the cafe, observing the bustling street life of Hanoi from above.
In recent years, the food and beverage (F&B) market has become hotter than ever. Therefore, brands must constantly innovate their menus to retain customers and avoid becoming boring. However, Cộng Cà Phê takes a different path by creating its own ‘signature menu’ with products unique and high-quality enough to keep customers coming back. Dishes made from purely Vietnamese ingredients like mung beans, coconut milk, and coffee, or items like instant noodles and bread with condensed milk, have become highlights.
Compared to other brands in the same industry, Cộng Cà Phê’s prices are in the mid-range. At a price point that, relative to the average income, most people can afford for a delicious cup of coffee in the special atmosphere of a branded coffee shop. This has made Cộng Cà Phê increasingly widely accepted.
Synchronization of management processes
Cộng Cà Phê has succeeded in its business in general and franchising in particular. Despite the constant challenges in the F&B industry, Cộng always ensures quality and a consistent design style for each store. This consistency is not only reflected in store design, product catalogs, and input materials, but Cộng Cà Phê also synchronizes tasks such as human resource management, project management, and back-office departments across its entire system. The 1Office solution has helped the Cộng chain manage all related tasks, making them simpler, automated, and cost-effective in terms of both expenses and manpower. It provides overall management for these tasks, replacing the use of multiple fragmented solutions as before.
1Office is proud to accompany Cộng Cà Phê, not only domestically but also abroad, helping Cộng share the burden of synchronizing different branches to achieve the brilliant success it has today.
Thank you, Cộng, for trusting and choosing 1Office as your reliable partner.
If you have an idea for developing a chain business like Cộng Cà Phê, let 1Office assist you with internal system and human resource management. Register for a free trial to receive the earliest support and consultation.
