The Origins of Vietnam’s Highlands Coffee Brand

Vietnam may be the world’s second-largest coffee producer, but until the late 1990s, its coffee scene barely existed for travellers seeking something beyond instant. That changed when David Thai, a Vietnamese-American who grew up surrounded by Starbucks in Seattle, returned to launch a café brand that would introduce Vietnamese coffee to the international palate. His journey answers the question: how did a Seattle-raised Vietnamese entrepreneur create Vietnam’s first modern coffeehouse chain?

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Vietnamese-Style Arabica

For those curious about the Arabica heritage that Highlands Coffee helped pioneer in Vietnam, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 — a classic Typica variety with balanced chocolate, almond, and cream notes. Or explore the Brazil Queen Manor Yellow Bourbon, grown at high altitude with sweet caramel, peanut, and toffee tones. Both showcase the refined side of Arabica that changed Vietnam’s coffee scene. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.