Thailand’s largest coffee chain, Café Amazon, is gearing up to enter Bangladesh by the end of 2024, aiming for a long-term expansion of 100 stores. The move comes after a master franchise agreement was signed with Bashundhara Group, one of the leading business conglomerates in Bangladesh.
Bashundhara Group, which started as a real estate company in 1987, has since diversified into various sectors including manufacturing, logistics, retail, and media. The group is no stranger to the food and beverage industry, having previously operated the Baba Rafi fast-food chain and managing the prominent Food Hall in Dhaka, a 7,000-square-foot gourmet marketplace.
PTT Oil and Retail Business (PTT OR), the parent company of Café Amazon, sees potential in Bangladesh’s growing coffee culture, especially as coffee consumption rises in a predominantly tea-drinking nation. The market for coffee shops in Bangladesh is still developing, with international brands like Gloria Jean’s and Crimson Cup having entered the market in 2012 and 2015, respectively. These brands have established a small presence, with five and 10 outlets each. Local competitors such as Tabaq Coffee and Coal & Coffee have also expanded, along with specialty coffee roasters like North End and Awake Coffee Roasters gaining popularity among younger consumers.
PTT OR emphasized that the partnership with Bashundhara Group aligns with its broader strategy of promoting Thai-grown coffee on a global scale. Earlier in 2024, the company launched a five-year initiative to create an ‘organic coffee farm’ and research hub in Lampang province, Thailand, as part of its efforts to boost coffee production and ensure a steady supply for its expanding network of more than 4,500 stores worldwide.
The farm, which spans 240 acres and is dubbed Amazon Park, serves as an educational center where Thai coffee farmers learn about cultivating premium arabica and robusta coffee varieties. PTT OR’s Café Amazon chain currently operates over 4,100 outlets in Thailand, with many located in its petrol stations, and has expanded internationally with stores in countries such as Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.
Looking ahead, PTT OR has ambitious plans to open 300 new Café Amazon outlets annually, further solidifying its position in the international coffee market.