Highlands Coffee

What Highlands Coffee does

Highlands Coffee is Vietnam's largest homegrown coffeehouse chain, founded in 1999 in Ho Chi Minh City and operating nearly 1,000 cafe locations across all 63 Vietnamese provinces. The chain serves over 100 million customers annually through a direct-to-consumer retail model that combines traditional Vietnamese Phin filter brewing with modern espresso beverages, teas, freeze blended drinks, pastries, and packaged coffee products. Its proprietary product portfolio centers on authentic Phin coffee made from locally sourced Vietnamese Robusta and Arabica beans, with proprietary blends (Traditional 80/20 and Full City Roast 70/30) and a dedicated roasting facility at the Highlands Roastery in Bàu Bằng Industrial Zone. The PhinĐI sub-brand (launched 2020) targets younger consumers with smoother Phin textures and modern flavors, while the HighlandsĐI mobile application (launched 2026) provides order-ahead, loyalty rewards, and delivery functionality alongside the order.highlandscoffee.com.vn e-commerce platform.

The company is majority-owned by Jollibee Foods Corporation, which acquired a 60% stake in parent SuperFoods Group in 2012 and has overseen the chain's growth from 56 stores to nearly 1,000 over the subsequent decade-plus. Revenue is generated primarily through in-store transaction-based sales across beverage and food categories, supplemented by packaged coffee retail (whole bean, instant 3-in-1, canned RTD) and digital ordering channels. Pricing is mass-market and listed publicly in Vietnamese Dong, with Phin coffee at 29,000 VND and modern espresso drinks ranging from 45,000 to 99,000 VND. Distribution extends across airports, shopping malls, industrial zones, hospitals, universities, and standalone street-front locations, complemented by social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. The company is evaluating a standalone IPO on the Vietnam Stock Exchange targeted for Q1 2027, with reports indicating a US$300-400M valuation range, intended to fund continued expansion within Vietnam and into Southeast Asia.

Name

Highlands Coffee

Legal name

Highlands Coffee

Website

https://www.highlandscoffee.com.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Highlands Coffee is Vietnam's largest homegrown coffeehouse chain, operating nearly 1,000 cafe locations across all 63 provinces and serving over 100 million customers annually with traditional Phin coffee, modern espresso beverages, and packaged coffee products under Jollibee Foods Corporation's majority ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffeehouse Chain

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Coffee Manufacturing (AFAFADAE), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Coffee (CRADAHAF)

Keywords

• Vietnamese coffee chain
• Specialty coffee retail
• Coffeehouse beverages
• Packaged coffee products
• Cafe food service

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Chi Minh City

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee & Food Sales: Revenue is primarily generated from in-store sales of coffee beverages, teas, freeze drinks, pastries, and food items across nearly 1,000 cafe locations in Vietnam. Same-store sales grew 13.6% in Q4 2025, demonstrating strong comparable store performance.
2. Packaged Coffee Products: Sale of packaged coffee products including whole bean coffee (Traditional, Moka, Full City Roast), instant coffee (3-in-1 format), canned ready-to-drink coffee, and coffee gift sets through cafe locations and online ordering.
3. Digital Ordering & Delivery: Revenue through the HighlandsĐI app and order.highlandscoffee.com.vn platform enabling order-ahead and delivery services to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Highlands Coffee is a Vietnamese coffeehouse chain operating nearly 1,000 cafe locations that serve traditional Phin-brewed coffee, espresso-based drinks, teas, freeze blended beverages, pastries, and packaged retail coffee products. The company complements its cafe network with the HighlandsĐI mobile app and an online ordering platform for pickup and delivery, serving over 100 million customers annually across Vietnam.

Product overview

Highlands Coffee is a Vietnamese coffee chain brand established in 1999, operating a portfolio of coffee and beverage products. The offering includes Traditional Phin Coffee (Vietnamese-style filtered coffee), PhinĐI (new generation Phin coffee sub-brand targeting younger consumers), Western-style coffee beverages (Cappuccino, Latte, Espresso, Americano), Tea beverages (Trà), Freeze ice-blended drinks, and Packaged Coffee for retail. The company also offers food items including pastries (Bánh Ngọt) and Bánh Mì Que sandwiches. The product portfolio is complemented by the HighlandsĐI mobile application for loyalty and ordering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phin Coffee (Traditional Vietnamese Coffee) Traditional Vietnamese coffee brewed using the Phin metal filter, including Phin Đen (black), Phin Sữa (with condensed milk), and Bạc Xỉu variants. Made from Robusta and Arabica beans sourced from Vietnamese highlands.
• PhinĐI New Generation Phin Coffee targeting younger consumers with a smoother Phin texture combined with modern flavors including Kem Sữa (cream), Hạnh Nhân (almond), and Choco.
• Western-style Coffee (Cappuccino, Latte, Americano, Espresso) International-style espresso-based coffee beverages including Cappuccino, Latte, Americano, and Espresso for customers seeking Italian-style coffee drinks.
• Tea (Trà) Modern tea beverages including Trà Thạch Vải (lychee tea), Trà Thạch Đào (peach tea), Trà Thanh Đào (peach lemongrass), Trà Sen Vàng (golden lotus tea), and Trà Xanh Đậu Đỏ (green tea red bean).
• Freeze (Ice-Blended Beverages) Ice-blended frozen beverages including Cookies & Cream, Freeze Sô-cô-la (chocolate), Classic Phin Freeze, Caramel Phin Freeze, and Freeze Trà Xanh (green tea).
• Packaged Coffee (Cà Phê Đóng Gói) Retail packaged coffee products for home brewing including instant 3-in-1 coffee, whole bean coffee (Traditional, Full City Roast, Moka, Culi), and canned ready-to-drink coffee.
• Pastries and Bakery (Bánh Ngọt, Bánh Mì Que) Hand-crafted pastries and baked goods including Croissant, Bánh Mì Que (baguette sandwiches with various fillings), Tiramisu, Banana Cake, Mousse Cacao, and various cheese cakes.
• HighlandsĐI Mobile App Loyalty program mobile application offering membership rewards, pre-ordering, order-ahead pickup, and member-only promotions for Highlands Coffee customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.6% same-store sales growth in Q4 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Costa Coffee: International coffee chain brand with presence in Vietnam through franchised outlets. Comparable to Highlands as a mid-tier coffee chain operator competing for the same Vietnamese daily-commuter and office-worker occasion.
• Starbucks: Global coffee chain incumbent competing directly with Highlands in Vietnam's premium and mid-tier segments. Operates as a broader international portfolio company rather than a Vietnam-specialist, but is the most visible benchmark for store-level coffee chain economics and brand premiumization.

Emerging players

• Luckin Coffee: China's largest coffee chain, expanding into Southeast Asia. Comparable to Highlands on rapid unit growth, technology-led digital ordering, and value-tier positioning. Relevant as the regional benchmark for tech-enabled coffee chain scaling.
• Mixue: Chinese-origin low-cost coffee and tea chain rapidly expanding across Southeast Asia including Vietnam. Competes with Highlands at the value end with aggressive sub-25K VND pricing; a structural threat to Highlands' lower-tier customer base.
• Cotti Coffee: China-origin value coffee chain expanding aggressively across Southeast Asia. Comparable to Highlands as a fast-scaling coffee chain competing on price and convenience, with potential overlap in Vietnam and other SE Asia markets.

Others

• Jollibee Foods Corporation: Parent company owning 60% of Highlands Coffee via SuperFoods Group. Comparable as a Philippines-listed foodservice operator with multinational expansion ambitions; relevant for understanding parent-level capital allocation and strategic direction for Highlands.

Direct peers

• Trung Nguyen Coffee: Vietnamese coffee brand operating both cafe locations and a significant packaged coffee business (legendee line). Comparable to Highlands as a heritage Vietnamese coffee company with both retail cafe and packaged CPG channels.
• Milano Coffee: Vietnamese coffee chain identified alongside Highlands as a major player in Vietnam's $1.34B coffee and tea chain market. Direct competitor with overlapping store footprint, Vietnamese-coffee heritage positioning, and similar mid-tier price points.
• The Coffee House: Vietnamese specialty coffee chain owned by Seedcom; competes directly with Highlands at the cafe level in major Vietnamese cities with a more lifestyle/Specialty positioning. Highly relevant as a domestic peer serving the same Vietnamese consumer with overlapping beverage and food menus.
• Phuc Long Coffee & Tea: Vietnamese coffee and tea chain with strong cafe presence and a packaged retail line (tea, coffee drinks) sold in modern trade. Comparable to Highlands on cafe operations, tea menu breadth, and omnichannel retail strategy.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHEqa2uTf8uXrGWrnU3ThgA
• Facebookfacebook.com/highlandscoffeevietnam
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandscoffeevietnam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highlands-coffee

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highlands Coffee