Cafe Amazon, the coffee chain from Thailand that entered the Vietnamese market in November 2020, had its last day of operation on 18/11/2025.

A senior manager of the chain confirmed to VnExpress that the store system had stopped serving customers. However, the official statement regarding the market withdrawal falls under the authority of the brand owner in Thailand.

Observations show that Cafe Amazon stores in TP HCM have removed their signage and vacated premises, with some locations already taken by new tenants. On online channels, the automated message response system of the brand's social media page (fanpage) in Vietnam also announced that it "has officially ceased operations".

A Cafe Amazon store when it was still operating in TP HCM. Photo: Fanpage Cafe Amazon Vietnam

Cafe Amazon's move to withdraw from Vietnam was anticipated. In an announcement sent to the Bangkok Stock Exchange in early October, Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited (Centel) stated its decision to dissolve ORC Coffee Passion Group (ORCG), the company operating the Cafe Amazon chain in Vietnam.

ORCG was a joint venture, with Central Restaurants Group (a Centel subsidiary) holding 40% of the shares and PTTOR International Holdings (Singapore), a subsidiary of PTT Oil and Retail Business, holding 60%. Centel cited "realigning business priorities" and adapting to market challenges as reasons for withdrawing from Vietnam. As of 31/8, Centel had invested 1,72 million USD in this joint venture.

Cafe Amazon entered the Vietnamese market in November 2020, with its first store located in TP HCM. The store interiors featured a "fresh oasis" style, similar to those in Thailand. However, to suit local tastes, the beverage menu was adjusted. In addition to coffee and Thai-style milk tea, the chain also sold Vietnamese-style brewed coffee, various teas, and seasonal drinks.

At the time of its withdrawal, Cafe Amazon currently had about 12 stores, primarily concentrated in TP HCM, with a few in Can Tho, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long. This number was lower than its initial targets and modest compared to leading popular coffee chains in Vietnam.

Despite being Thailand's largest chain, Cafe Amazon faced the dominant position of other domestic and international chains in the Vietnamese market, such as Highlands Coffee, Phuc Long, Katinat, Trung Nguyen Legend Cafe, and Starbucks. Highlands Coffee is the largest coffee chain, owning 928 stores as of the end of September. This chain also recorded its highest profit in the past two years during Q3.

Regionally, Cafe Amazon remains one of Asia's largest coffee chains, with over 5,000 stores. The majority of these are located in its home country, primarily operating within gas stations, an advantage the chain lacked in Vietnam.

According to Inside Retail Asia, Cafe Amazon sold over 107 million cups of coffee in Q2 of fiscal year 2025, an increase of nearly 5% compared to the same period in 2024 across all markets. The chain is shifting its focus to Lao, Philippines, Japan, Oman, and Bahrain through a franchise model.

D Tung