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Outbound guide · Vietnamese brands abroad · updated 9 Oct 2026

Franchise a Vietnamese brand abroad

Searching for a Vietnamese coffee franchise in the Philippines, the USA or Malaysia, or a pho or café brand for Korea, India or Australia? This guide lists which Vietnamese F&B brands are already operating overseas, by destination, with a dated source next to every claim — then shows how to approach a brand as a master franchisee.

⚠︎ Figures are published by third parties, compiled as-is, and may change. We do not independently verify the underlying data — check the source before acting on it. For reference only; not legal, tax, or investment advice.

Facts read on 9 October 2026. Store counts and partner names change; check the linked source before you rely on any figure.

Which Vietnamese F&B brands already operate abroad, and where?

Grouped by the destination people search for. Where we could not find a reputable source, we say so rather than guess.

Philippines

  • Highlands Coffee had 985 stores at the end of 2025, 38 of them in the Philippines. Jollibee Foods Corporation holds 60% of Highlands' parent, SuperFoods Group. (Source: Tuoi Tre News, 15 Mar 2026)
  • Phúc Tea opened its first international store, trading as HappiTea, at SM City in Manila under a master franchise agreement with SM Group, targeting 20 Philippine stores within 12 months. The deal was facilitated by Go Global Holdings. (Source: World Coffee Portal, 3 Jul 2024)
  • Cộng Cà Phê announced its Philippine debut at Gateway 2 mall, Quezon City, for February 2025, promising the same ambience and drinks as in Vietnam and using Vietnamese Robusta beans. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 8 Jan 2025)
  • A cautionary case: in May 2023 Jollibee halted Phở 24 operations in the Philippines and transferred Phở 24's assets to East-West Restaurant Concepts in Vietnam. (Source: ABS-CBN News, 10 May 2023)

United States

  • Phúc Long Coffee & Tea opened its first US store in Garden Grove, California, in July 2021 — about two months after TNI King Coffee opened its first US café. (Source: Viet Nam News, 13 Jul 2021)
  • Trung Nguyên Legend lists "café network expansion across the United States" as its 2025 milestone. (Source: Trung Nguyên Legend (official milestones), read 9 Oct 2026)

Malaysia

  • Viva Star Coffee is entering Malaysia with partner GinsengWorld Biotech Berhad, launching in October 2026; it already operates in Cambodia (since 2018), Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China and India. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 24 Aug 2026)
  • Cộng Cà Phê counts Malaysia among its international markets, alongside South Korea, Canada, Taiwan and the Philippines. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 8 Jan 2025)

South Korea

  • Cộng Cà Phê appointed a master franchisee in South Korea and opened its first store in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, in July 2018; staff were trained in Vietnam and the head barista was Vietnamese. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 17 Jul 2018)
  • By January 2025 Cộng Cà Phê had 23 stores in South Korea, out of 29 outside Vietnam. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 8 Jan 2025)
  • Trung Nguyên Legend opened a representative office in South Korea in 2023. (Source: Trung Nguyên Legend (official milestones), read 9 Oct 2026)

China and Japan

  • Trung Nguyên Legend opened its first overseas flagship in Shanghai in 2022 and lists franchising in Japan and Singapore as a 2001 milestone. (Source: Trung Nguyên Legend (official milestones), read 9 Oct 2026)

India and South Asia

  • Three O'Clock gave FranGlobal, the international arm of Franchise India Holdings, exclusive rights for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, aiming for at least 100 stores over the next decade. (Source: Tuoi Tre News, 15 Jan 2025)
  • Three O'Clock opened its first three Indian stores in Gurugram on 8 November 2025, with six planned in the initial rollout, as part of Go Global Holdings' franchise acceleration programme. (Source: VietnamPlus, 10 Nov 2025)
  • Phúc Tea (HappiTea) signed Franchise India Ventures to develop India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, committing to at least 200 franchised outlets in 10 years (signed 17 May 2025). (Source: The Saigon Times, 18 May 2025)

Indonesia

  • Three O'Clock signed Jakarta-based PT Tiga Waktu Rasa as master franchisee, with the first 24/7 store scheduled for Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, in early December 2025 — its third international master franchise agreement in eight months. (Source: Znews, 16 Oct 2025)
  • Cộng Cà Phê announced its Indonesian debut at Gandaria City, South Jakarta; its other overseas markets include South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Canada, the Philippines and France. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 9 Aug 2026)

Gulf states (GCC)

  • Al Madini Group of Companies signed for Three O'Clock, Phúc Tea and Care With Love across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, committing to at least 50 franchised outlets per brand in the first five years (signed 17 May 2025). (Source: The Saigon Times, 18 May 2025)

Australia

  • We found no top-tier report, as of 9 October 2026, of a Vietnamese chain operating franchised stores in Australia. The nearest link is trade, not stores: Viva Star Coffee lists Australia among its coffee export markets. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 24 Aug 2026)

Why is there no official count of Vietnamese brands franchising abroad?

There is no official, up-to-date count of Vietnamese brands franchising abroad. Since 16 December 2011, Vietnamese businesses franchising overseas no longer have to register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). In 2007, three businesses had registered to franchise abroad. (Source: Thanh Tra newspaper, 13 Mar 2025)

The last MOIT-attributed figure we can trace is seven outbound franchise licences, reported in 2016. Any larger total you see quoted is an estimate, not a registry count. (Source: Dân trí, 15 May 2016)

What this means for you: there is no Vietnamese government list to check a brand against. Ask the brand directly for its signed territories, the counterparty in each, and stores actually open — then confirm with press reports or the partner itself.

What does it cost to franchise a Vietnamese café brand abroad?

None of the brands above publishes the cost of an overseas unit or a master franchise fee. What is public are development commitments, which tell you the scale a brand expects from a master franchisee: at least 100 Three O'Clock stores in South Asia over a decade, and at least 200 HappiTea outlets in 10 years. (Source: The Saigon Times, 18 May 2025)

For a floor reference only: Three O'Clock lists VND 3.39 billion for a single unit in Vietnam, including the franchise fee and start-up costs. These are brand-provided figures for Vietnam, not for overseas stores. (Source: franchising.vn brand listing (brand-provided figures), read 9 Oct 2026)

Phúc Tea lists VND 330 million to 2.98 billion per location in Vietnam (brand-provided). Abroad, rent, wages, import duties on beans and tea bases, and the master fee will change the total — build your own model before you negotiate. (Source: franchising.vn brand listing (brand-provided figures), read 9 Oct 2026)

How do Vietnamese brands support overseas master franchisees?

Product supply from Vietnam: for its Indonesian launch, Cộng Cà Phê said coffee beans and key ingredients would be imported from Vietnam. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 9 Aug 2026)

Training in Vietnam: for its first Seoul store, Cộng Cà Phê trained all staff in Vietnam and placed a Vietnamese head barista. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 17 Jul 2018)

A typical split of duties: in Indonesia, PT Tiga Waktu Rasa handles store development, operations, marketing and the supply chain, while Three O'Clock provides brand support and training for the partner's team. (Source: Znews, 16 Oct 2025)

Farm-to-cup brands: Viva Star Coffee describes itself as working across the coffee value chain, from sourcing and production to branding, retail and franchising. (Source: Inside Retail Asia, 24 Aug 2026)

How do you approach a Vietnamese brand as a foreign master franchisee?

  1. Shortlist on proof, not hype. Ask for store count by city, years trading, and same-store results. A brand that has already supported one overseas partner has a playbook; a brand on its first deal needs more from you.
  2. Check the trademark in your country first. Search your national trademark register for the brand name and logo. If someone else holds the mark there, the brand cannot grant you clean rights until that is resolved. Make registration in your territory a condition of signing.
  3. Ask for a disclosure pack under your own law. Your country's rules decide what the brand must disclose. In the United States, for example, the FTC Franchise Rule requires a Franchise Disclosure Document before you sign or pay. (Source: US eCFR — 16 CFR Part 436 (FTC Franchise Rule), read 9 Oct 2026)
  4. Map the supply chain and landed cost. List every item that must come from Vietnam — beans, tea bases, syrups, packaging — and price it delivered to your warehouse: freight, duty, food-safety import permits and currency. This often decides the margin more than rent does.
  5. Agree the development schedule and territory. Master deals carry minimum store commitments by year. Negotiate a schedule you can fund, what happens if you miss it, and whether you may sub-franchise.
  6. Lock training and opening support in writing. Where training happens, for how many people, who pays travel, and how many days the brand's team stays for the first openings.

What should you ask the brand before you sign?

  • Which territories have you already signed, with whom, and how many stores are open today?
  • Is the trademark registered in my country, and in whose name?
  • Which products must I buy from you or from Vietnam, and at what transfer price?
  • What are the master fee, royalty and marketing fee, and how are they split with sub-franchisees?
  • Can I speak to an existing overseas partner?
  • Which law governs the agreement, and where are disputes heard?

What has Go Global done for Vietnamese brands going abroad?

Go Global Franchise Hub is a Go Global Holdings collaboration, so this section describes our own work. The sources are the press reports linked next to each line.

Go Global Holdings, chaired by Nguyễn Phi Vân, runs the franchise accelerator behind several of the deals above. It facilitated Phúc Tea's master franchise with SM Group in the Philippines. (Source: World Coffee Portal, 3 Jul 2024)

On 17 May 2025, Three O'Clock, Phúc Tea and Care With Love signed master franchise agreements for South Asia and the six GCC states. (Source: The Saigon Times, 18 May 2025)

Three O'Clock's India opening was part of Go Global Holdings' franchise acceleration programme. (Source: VietnamPlus, 10 Nov 2025)

Its Indonesian deal was the third international master franchise agreement in eight months to come out of the Go Global Franchise Accelerator. (Source: Znews, 16 Oct 2025)

Frequently asked questions

Which Vietnamese coffee brands are in the Philippines?

Highlands Coffee had 38 Philippine stores at the end of 2025 (Tuoi Tre News, March 2026). Cộng Cà Phê announced a Quezon City store for February 2025 (Inside Retail Asia). Phúc Tea entered as HappiTea through a master franchise with SM Group (World Coffee Portal, July 2024).

Is there a Vietnamese coffee franchise in the USA?

Phúc Long opened in Garden Grove, California, in July 2021, after TNI King Coffee's first US café (Viet Nam News). Trung Nguyên Legend reports expanding its café network across the US in 2025 (company site). Ask each brand directly whether US franchise rights are open.

Can I franchise a Vietnamese café brand in Malaysia?

Cộng Cà Phê already operates in Malaysia, and Viva Star Coffee is launching there in October 2026 with GinsengWorld Biotech Berhad (Inside Retail Asia). Whether further rights are available depends on each brand's existing partner agreements.

Are there Vietnamese franchises in Australia?

As of 9 October 2026 we found no top-tier report of a Vietnamese chain with franchised stores in Australia. Viva Star Coffee exports coffee there (Inside Retail Asia, August 2026). That makes Australia an open territory to discuss with brands, not a proven one.

How many Vietnamese brands franchise abroad?

Nobody knows officially. Outbound franchises stopped registering with MOIT on 16 December 2011. The only MOIT-attributed figures are 3 businesses (2007) and 7 licences (2016), reported by Thanh Tra and Dân trí.

What does a Vietnamese café master franchise cost?

The brands covered here do not publish overseas fees. Public deals instead show store commitments — for example at least 100 Three O'Clock stores in South Asia over ten years (Tuoi Tre News). Model fees, landed product cost and local rent before you negotiate.

Do I have to import coffee from Vietnam?

Often, yes, for signature products. Cộng Cà Phê said beans and key ingredients for Indonesia would come from Vietnam (Inside Retail Asia, August 2026). The agreement should list which items are mandatory and how they are priced.

Is there a Vietnamese pho franchise abroad?

Phở 24 was the best-known example, but Jollibee halted its Philippine operations in May 2023 and transferred the brand's assets to East-West Restaurant Concepts (ABS-CBN News). We found no current top-tier report of a Vietnamese pho chain franchising overseas.

How can Go Global help a foreign master franchisee?

Go Global Holdings has facilitated master franchise deals for Phúc Tea (Philippines, India, GCC) and Three O'Clock (India, Indonesia, GCC), as reported by World Coffee Portal, The Saigon Times and VietnamPlus. Use the contact form on this site to tell us your territory and category.

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