In the face of rising number of famous domestic and foreign coffee brands entering the Da Nang market, Da Nang coffee brand is still confident in developing its strong and distinct identity, and affirming its position as a distinctive brand in its home market. A cup of coffee is no longer a simple story about drinking but acts as a bridge to promote local tourism and culture to tourists.

Coffee shop chains in Da Nang help to promote the city as an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists. The picture is taken at one of Trinh Coffee shop chains in Da Nang.

Spreading messages about local tourism and culture

Locals and tourists visiting Trinh Coffee Shop Chain which is among Da Nang's coffee brands are deeply impressed with the images of the Dragon Bridge, the Son Tra Peninsula, beaches and the red-shanked douc langur that are prominently put on coffee cups at these shops. More specifically, if you use your phone camera to scan these images on your coffee cup,  you will see these images moving with the vivid sound of the sea breezes and birds singing with virtual reality technology.

"I want my customers visiting my coffee shop to not only drink coffee but also learn about tourism and culture of the city," shared Mr. Nguyen Quang Thanh Son, the founder of Trinh Coffee Brand which was created and developed by himself and his wife in 2018 just after nearly 2 years of researching the Da Nang market and shaping his brand.

In its sixth year of operations, Trinh coffee shop chain is familiar to local residents and tourists at its 4 shops. Especially, avocado coffee is a favorite of many guests in this coffee shop chain as it is considered to be a specialty with two natural ingredients namely oragnic coffee and fresh avocado.

Mr. Son said: "Every tourist city impresses tourists with its unique products, including coffee. Ha Noi is famous for its egg coffee while Hue City is known for its salt coffee and Ho Chi Minh City impresses tourists with “racket coffee” or “stewing coffee”. I am indigenous while my wife comes from Dak Lak Province where avocado trees are grown. Therefore, I and my wife together have developed special avocado coffee which is only available in Trinh Coffee Shop Chain in order to introduce it to local residents and tourists”, Mr. Son added.

Visitors to Trinh Coffee Shop Chain can also receive sticker sets depicting the images of the Han Riverside City. They also have the chance to participate in local market events or take photos at the shop chain's places imbued with national identity. Many tourists, especially young people, have shared beautiful images of Trinh Coffee Shop Chain on social media, and this coffee chain is being introduced on Danang Fantasticity mobile application which is the Da Nang Tourism Official Channel, contributing to promoting Da Nang as a young and attractive city for tourists.

Like Trinh brand, The Power House is a "local" coffee brand which has been familiar to local residents and tourists in recent years.

Having lived and worked in Viet Nam for nearly one year, and drank coffee at The Power House, Mr. Philip Chong, an American citizen, remarked: "I have had the opportunity to visit many cities around the world, and I am quite satisfied with the taste of coffee in Viet Nam. Coffee shops in Viet Nam offer a diverse range of products and services at various prices. As for Da Nang, you can easily find a crowded coffee shop that offers great coffee at reasonable prices just walking along the banks of the Han River or around Da Nang’s inner city. You will have the opportunity to meet with friendly local people while sipping on your cup of coffee there."

Creating unique identity for coffee shops

Today, with more than 17,400 stores in 60 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. “And with every cup, we strive to bring both our heritage and an exceptional experience to life’ is Starbucks’s slogan. Starbucks' legacy is partly built from the synchronization of coffee flavours, its shop space and personnel, along with its globally recognized brand.

The synchronization of Starbucks, and other international brands as a whole, is what persons like Mr. Son and Mr. Dinh, the founder of The Power House Brand who are dedicated to creating a coffee brand with Da Nang's own identity are striving for. In the face of rising number of famous domestic and foreign coffee brands entering the Da Nang market, Da Nang Coffee brand founders are confident in affirming their positions in their home market with a focus on creating a brand identity for their coffee shops.

Apart from Trinh Coffee and The Power House chains, Da Nang is are also home to The Local Beans Coffee, Nam House, Noi, Ikigai Garden, Gé, and more that are very inviting to domestic and foreign tourists.

Mr. Phan Dinh, the founder of The Power House brand affirmed: "Coffee in Da Nang is of course so delicious". He added that the city is not very far from the country's major coffee growing places such as Central Highlands and Quang Tri. The process of coffee production from seed to cup becomes more meticulous and professional so you can be completely assured about the quality of Da Nang’s coffee.

Talking about the cultural and lifestyle factors of Da Nang, Mr. Dinh said: "Almost everyone in Da Nang likes to drink coffee. I am deeply impressed with the image of crowded Long coffee shop chain. In the morning, customers sit around a table facing each other to chat together in a friendly space, contributing to showcasing the  bustling atmosphere of Da Nang’s street coffee, as well as showcasing local cultural identity."

What Mr. Dinh said seems to be the common thinking of people who develop Da Nang-branded coffee shops. They believe that Da Nang has its own charm while the coffee, the coffee shops and local residents will act as a thread connecting with domestic and foreign tourists by promoting local culture.

"I have had the opportunity to visit many places in Viet Nam, and realize that foreign tourists really like the feeling of being immersed and engaged in bustling local spaces, especially a coffee shop. Therefore, I want to open a coffee shop in a simple and cheerful manner so that domestic and foreign tourists can find joy in sitting together to drink coffee," said Mr. Nguyen Quang Thanh Son.

According to Mr. Son, it is very good for the city to set up a coffee space that bring together prominent local brands in a bid to boost the city’s tourism, as well as drive local socio-economic development as a whole.

“In my opinion, if the city can build a perfect infrastructure around its coffee space with new developments like parking lots, utilities, and tourist attractions, thereby helping to attract famous coffee brands to lure tourists," Mr. Son remarked.

Mr. Hung Tran, the owner of Tiktok Tuidicaphe account that has introduced 500 coffee shops in Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Chieng Mai (Thailand), shared: "Da Nang is known for its delicious coffee brands and their impressive styles. Many shop owners in the city are creative and innovative to reach their customers and promote their city’s tourism."

Reporting by XUAN SON – Translating by H.L