Many Vietnamese are familiar with the legendary ABBA music band from Sweden, and they will now have a chance to enjoy another well-known Swedish cultural feature – the Swedish “fika” coffee – thanks to the opening of Wayne's Coffee’s first store in Vietnam on June 13^th.

Delegates cut the ribbon to open Wayne's Coffee’s first store in Vietnam on June 13^th. (Photos: NDO)

Dubbed the "coffee elite" of the Nordic region, Wayne's Coffee brand brings the “fika” coffee culture to Vietnamese via its first store in the Southeast Asian nation, at Viettel Complex, No. 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Wayne's Coffee project in Vietnam is co-developed by Arya Consumer JSC and Vietnam-Oman Investment Fund (VOI). As the first of Wayne's Coffee in Asia, the project did not coincidentally choose Vietnam - a country with a long history of diplomatic relations with Sweden, and having received profound support from Sweden for nearly half a century.

Speaking at the inauguration, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, Pereric Hogberg, said that the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Sweden have been tightened with the presence of a Swedish coffee brand, Wayne's Coffee. "I am very happy that Wayne's Coffee is open in Vietnam, where people love to drink coffee,” he said, adding that Sweden is also in the top five countries in terms of coffee consumption. “Enjoying coffee has come to the Swedish life in a very natural way, and we call it the "fika" style,” the diplomat said.

This is the first time the fika culture has been seen in Vietnam.

Applying Wayne's Coffee standards in Sweden and internationally, Wayne's Coffee Vietnam uses certified organic coffee, qualified by KRAV standards with rigorous testing. Cakes and drinks are made by baristas from Sweden at the counter. It also offers Vietnamese coffee to meet the taste of local coffee-goers at VND 29,000 (USD 1.27).

Currently, Wayne's Coffee has over 140 stores in Sweden, England, Germany, Holland, Jordan and several Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Swedish tradition of fika has conquered consumers around the world thanks to the healthy meals and drinks, as well as its environmental friendliness in using disposable items, such as glasses, mugs, paper towels, and decanters.

Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, Pereric Hogberg (C) and CEO of Wayne's Coffee global, Mats Hornell (R) visit the Wayne's Coffee counter.

Mats Hornell, CEO at Wayne’s Coffee global system, said that "fika" with its own identity still fits in with the modern trend. "Our mission is to serve healthier beverages from organic, environmentally-friendly recycled materials, which is also our responsibility to protect the environment," said Hornell.

Nguyen Dinh Dung, CEO at Arya Consumer Vietnam, shared that the Swedish brand brings "European” quality food and drinks but with a very “Vietnamese” price to local consumers, targeting to bring about positive changes in life that will help people to balance their lives and make the planet greener.

As a strategic shareholder of the project, the VOI Fund has adopted the project with Arya Consumers JSC to continue its mission in Vietnam, focusing on contributing to society and creating added value for the country and its people. A VOI representative said that the goal of Wayne's Coffee Project is to bring Vietnamese people the experience of organic coffee with their new favourite corner to take time out of their busy everyday lives.

A joint venture between the State General Reserve Fund of Oman (SGRF) and the State Capital Investment Corporation of Vietnam (SCIC), VOI’s key investments are based on Vietnam's growth story, in key areas, such as electricity, toll roads, logistics, clean water, education, health care, agriculture, commodities and consumption. VOI has disbursed more than USD 200 million in the last decade, becoming a typical investment fund from the Middle East into Vietnam./.

VNF/NDO