Vietnam: four months of planning, open seven days after landing

Why Vietnam

Vietnam has been one of the most up and coming markets in Asia for years. A lot of investment is flowing into the country and there are real opportunities for food and beverage brands that are willing to show up and do the work. That is why we opened there.

Planning from 8,000 miles away

Most of the opening happened before anyone boarded a plane. We met with our team in Vietnam every week, from the first conversations through the end of the buildout, so decisions did not wait for a trip. Every month we trained the local team on recipes and procedures remotely, so that by the time the store was ready the team already knew how things should be done.

We also hired a local team to handle suppliers and day to day communication with local vendors. Prices, delivery windows, and relationships are local, and a message from the other side of the world does not get the best price or the fastest answer.

The last week

With a week left before opening, our management team flew over and trained the new team in person, hands on, behind the counter. Recipes and standards can travel in writing and on calls. The feel of the brand travels in person. Seven days after landing, the store opened with about 10 locally hired team members.

What we got wrong, and fixed fast

The plan from the US did not survive the first weeks with real customers, and that was expected. We watched, listened, and calibrated quickly.

• Our 24 ounce cups and 32 ounce jars were far too big for local customers, so we resized.
• Drinks needed to be less sweet.
• Customers wanted much more ice.
• People liked to linger for hours, so we brought in more comfortable chairs and made the whole room a place to hang out, not a grab and go counter.

What it means for brands coming to Southern California

Every lesson from Saigon applies in reverse to a brand from Asia opening here. Plan remotely with a local team you talk to every week, train before you arrive, fly the leadership in for the final stretch, hire locally for suppliers and vendors, and expect to calibrate sizes, sweetness, ice, and the room in the first weeks. That is the work we now do for overseas brands opening in Los Angeles and Orange County.