Assistant Editor, Indianretailer.com, Franchise TV & Retailer Media Nov, 08 2025 /
Vietnam’s vibrant coffee culture has finally entered the Indian market through Three O’Clock Café, a brand that has quickly attracted attention in Gurugram and other major cities. With five stores already operating in India and a target to reach eight outlets by 2025, the brand is expanding steadily, supported by Franchise India as its master franchise partner and area developers across key regions.
Speaking about the brand and coffee market, Poonam Bajaj, Area Developer and CEO of Inner Bean Coffee Pvt Ltd, said, “There was a gap in the café market, especially for Gen Z consumers who prefer strong, bold coffee. We noticed that Indian consumers appreciate intense flavors, very similar to Vietnamese taste preferences. Vietnam’s coffee has changed the landscape of the Indian coffee market, especially transforming coffee culture among Gen Z in India. When we saw Franchise India’s partnership with Three O’Clock, Vietnam’s coffee story looked very inspiring. And, when it comes to Vietnam’s coffee, nothing is better than Three O’Clock. Three O’Clock is more than just a coffee brand. In Vietnam, it represents community, culture, and a deep tradition of enjoying strong, flavorful coffee.”
When the Franchise India team met the founders of Three O’Clock, they realized that the idea of bringing an authentic Vietnamese experience to Indian consumers through strong coffee, a warm ambience, and cultural storytelling is compelling. Now, the brand aims to introduce the Vietnamese way of enjoying coffee while making it feel relatable to Indian audiences. In Vietnam, Three O’Clock is famous for its iconic 24-hour café model, where people freely work, meet, and relax at any hour of the day. However, bringing this format to India required a customized approach.
Looking ahead, Three O’Clock plans to expand into 21 cities before widening its footprint. Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are immediate priorities for the brand, with more cities being added quickly. Its objective is to build a strong brand in India and gain customer trust to become one of the most recognized café brands in the Indian market. Having a physical store is important for the brand when entering a new market, as it believes the customers need to experience the brand in person, taste the coffee, feel the ambience, and understand the culture. It confirmed that India may soon see its first 24-hour Three O’Clock café, a concept already successful in Vietnam.
Talking about franchising, Phi Van Nguyen, Chairwoman at Vietnam Franchising and Licensing Network and Co-Founder of Three O’ Clock Café, said, “The franchise strategy for India has been carefully structured. Franchise India is the master franchise for the entire country, and area developers will operate under this umbrella. We have a master franchise partner, and under that, we have area developers. Delhi NCR’s area developer is already signed, and Hyderabad and other major markets are next. Area developers are free to run their own outlets or sub-franchises within their territory. This tiered structure allows the brand to scale fast while protecting consistency and culture.”
Nguyen Thi Thuan, Founder and CEO of Three O’Clock, shared her views on finding suitable franchise partners and listed three essential factors for any franchisor. She added, “We believe that the franchise partners should be passionate about the brand, its story, and vision; understand the brand value; build up a strong team; and have long-term growth and business sustainability. For us, at the beginning, operational challenges were significant, but we managed to overcome them by training people more, improving supply chain management, and maintaining quality. Since coffee beans and tea leaves are the heart of the brand, the team had to ensure a reliable and consistent supply of authentic ingredients. For us, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are essential because they ensure that every store prepares products consistently.”
When comparing India’s and Vietnam’s franchise ecosystems, the brands confirmed that Vietnam’s industry is still young, and there is only one major franchise exhibition each year. In India, Franchise India alone manages more than 300 events annually across states. This shows how mature and active the Indian franchising ecosystem is, making expansion much easier and faster.
The co-founders concluded the conversation with powerful advice for Indian entrepreneurs and said, “India offers opportunities across categories, from cafés to milk-based beverages and beyond. We encourage Indian entrepreneurs to either join strong global brands or build their own brand with a plan to scale internationally. Partner with strong brands, strong partners, and professional people, and be there for the long term. If you don’t look at whether you make money or not, then it’s not a business anymore.”
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