In praise of Highlands Coffee
Posted: May 4, 2010 Filed under: Food and drink, Hanoi | Tags: coffee, drinks, Hanoi, highlands coffee, vietnam 11 Comments »
I’ve a soft spot for Highlands Coffee – although I know it’s not everyone’s cup of..err.. tea.
I’ve read a few foreign blogs that appear to smirk at the fact that Vietnam should have such outlets. I’ve heard them called Starbucks rip-offs more than once. Really? Well, yes, they sell coffee and have comfy chairs but since when has Starbucks had the monopoly on that?
I was first aware of Highlands back in 2004 although a quick look at their website says they’ve been in existence since 2002. My earliest recollection is of the cafe on the corner of Hoan Kiem lake. That was handed over to Hapro but it was trumped by a swanky new Highlands on a boat on Westlake.
That too went but the plush Highland in Hanoi Towers opened and seemed to set the standard for future comfort. Leather armchairs, comfy sofas and half decent WIFI too.
Now they’ve got all the best sites sewn up – the Opera House, Hoan Kiem and my favourite next to Army Museum on Dien Bien Phu.
Yes, it’s a franchise experience but it’s a Vietnamese franchise experience.
And yes, while I’m told the owners are actually Viet Kieu – their website at least confirms that it’s 100% Vietnamese with a head office in Hanoi and commercial office in Ho Chi Minh City.
Pics all taken at Highlands Coffee Dien Bien Phu on Sunday.
I’m a big fan of Highlands – fond memories of a morning coffee and a copy of the Vietnam News before heading to language class
You recommended Highlands to me last fall, and it turned out to be the perfect place to stop, relax, and unwind my spinning head on my very first day in Hanoi. After wandering around by myself for hours, getting amusingly lost a few times, I ended up by Hoan Kiem, jet-lagged, linguistically overwhelmed, and sweating like I didn’t believe it was possible for a human being to sweat. I remember seeing the sign and thinking, ‘It’s a chain, sure, but that’s all I can work my head around at the moment.’ Ended up being exactly what I needed. Thanks for that.
I love Highlands. In December, one of the sweet staff members took my son by the hand and led him away out of sight. She had taken him back into the kitchen and he was eating french fries with the cook.
Music: Average to good
Service: Great
Food: Best French fries in town (not chips, French fries)
Coffee: Yea, not bad
Prices: Food, ok. Coffee, ouch.
It’s a very nice place to stop in and relax, and a very well executed idea. We’ll leave sneering at air con and questing for the ‘real’ Vietnam and only the REAL Vietnam to new arrivals and the Rice Wankers.
Thanks for comments all – to address them together. I know, from working with KOTO, just how long it takes to get front of house staff to a point whereby they are comfortable with international customers.
And yet I’ve never had any problems with a single member of staff at Highlands. Sure some are faster and more attentive than others but orders are always right and always delivered with confidence and a smile.
Music – yes, that can be hit and miss. I do recall country and western Christmas songs in the Hanoi Towers branch. And, more recently, crackly damaged speakers in the Dien Bien Phu Highlands.
But even their music on the whole is nicely in the background. Something that can’t be said for new expat-built franchise-type place Joma. On a recent trip there the jazz nearly had me ripping my ears off.
Hel – I’d pretty much go along with your breakdown. The food, French fries aside, is pretty naff. But the coffee is much better than you otherwise might expect.
I can’t recall the exact coffee price but nothing comes close to the rip-off that is Segafredo.
We have been a few times and the drinks were good, staff lovely. And unlike starbucks, it appears not to be taking over the planet
I love Highlands too – I tend to cast aside any chain store coffee snobbery in Vietnam, because Highlands (and my other fave, Trung Nguyen) really are ‘ real’ coffee places and offer some of the best coffee (and cafe surrounds) here!
It never ceases to amaze me that they can pay the rent at those locations. I would love to see all the figures.
Kerryanne -who knows – it may yet overtake the planet but probably not.
AGIA – I’ve come to the conclusion that everything is real. Even KFC in Vietnam is an experience. Not one I want to repeat too often but seeing something so familar in a new setting is interesting in itself. And if enough people want them well…that’s up to them.
Alex, Good question. I have a theory that so few Vietnamese businesses make money. Then again salaries are so low that rent will be their highest outgoing. Next time someone complains about the cost of coffee at Highlands I’ll certainly remind of the high rental that must be made.
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Ya — Highland coffee really makes its money three ways: location, location, location. Seriously, think of all their locations: Hoa Binh towers, Hanoi Towers, Fraiser Suites, Vincom Towers, etc. What do all these locations have in common? (1) Place where foreigners frequent, (2) place where business people frequent (most of them are office buildings), and (3) upper-middle and high class region.
Now, of course good food, service, and environment are necessary too, but without the right location it fails (ex: their boat location, while I really wanted to go there was not located in an easy-to-get-to location and wasn’t near enough to their main income source: business people).