Food and beverages (F&B) currently still make up a high proportion of Vietnamese consumers’ monthly consumption. Despite the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 resurgence, enterprises active in the F&B industry across Da Nang have always been strong on their feet to renew themselves and find new development directions in a bid to keep up with the changing market trends.

The Cups Coffee shop is seen serving takeaways only during the ongoing COVID-19 wave

Making debut of attractive new products

Due to the closure of dine-on services during the COVID-19 wave, Hai Chau District- located Leman Spaghetti restaurant is sawing its monthly revenue drop sharply by about 80 - 90%.

Regardless of unfavourable situations, Truong Thi An, the owner of the Leman Spaghetti restaurant has never thought about suspending its operations. The sharp decrease in revenue, as it turned out, has made An always take the initiative to find out a solution to keep her business stable during the tough times.

In July 2020, Ms. An launched bottled minced beef sauce to the local market, the first step for the birth of ‘Co An’ (Ms. An) Kitchen brand - an online food court. Leman Spaghetti specializes in European dishes, while Co An Kitchen serves Vietnamese culinary.

“After each virus wave, customers are more hesitant to come to the restaurant, so the launching of online sales is an effective solution. Meanwhile, Leman Spaghetti's dishes are not suitable for online services because they must be served immediately right after processing to ensure deliciousness. Therefore, I decided to launch Co An Kitchen”, An said.

Since its inception with minced beef sauce, for the time being, the Co An Kitchen store's menu has enriched with a large number of orders received day by day, satisfying customer's tastes.

In addition, Co An Kitchen also flexibly adds to the online store's menu a variety of refreshing drinks suitable for use in hot weather such as durian sugarcane juice, green bean tea and purple sweet potato jelly tea. In the coming time, Ms. An plans to launch a completely new project - Bakery No. 11.

Being strong on feet

Like other F&B businesses, The Cups Coffee of Vietart Food & Beverage Co., Ltd., one of the most famous coffee brand chains in Da Nang, is not “immune” to the effects of COVID-19. Mr. Tran Hoang Phi, Deputy General Director of Vietart Food & Beverage Co., Ltd. said that the revenue in the coronavirus-stricken months during the pandemic has decreased by 70 - 80%.

In parallel with overcoming difficulties, the company has constantly created many new products to meet the increasingly diverse needs of customers.

Accordingly, understanding the psychology of consumers who are increasingly interested in healthy drinks and foods, in mid-June 2021, The Cups Coffee launched the branch of "Mixed Vitamins”, which features the best vitamins for body, skin and “staying young forever”.

These are all drinks made from a harmonious combination of fresh fruit and vegetables. “Currently, we are witnessing an increasing consumption of these products. In the coming time, we will make the debut of more new drinks made from fresh green ingredients,” said Mr. Phi.

He added that COVID-19 is bringing both challenges and opportunities to his business. It is expected that, next year, his company will develop new business models, which are optimal in terms of low-risk investment costs.

Through a large number of attractive promotions on online on-demand food delivery apps such as Now and Grab Food, a lot of orders of F&B are made.

In particular, with no minimum order required, consumers can order from the wide selection of cuisines available, enjoying the convenience of having their favourite food delivered fast, right to their doorsteps within 25 minutes on average.

However, there is no denying that doing business on the internet faces a great deal of fierce competition in terms of price.

Virtually, every business is threatened by new competitors in the age of digitisation. In many cases, it is necessary to transform your own company so as not to be edged out.

Many F&B providers affirmed the use of online food delivery apps is an inevitable trend, but to gain market share in this lucrative field requires businesses to effectively conduct marketing strategies and to adjust sales activities in online sales.

Reporting by MAI HIEN – Translating by A.T