Caffe Bene on Sunday opened its first Vietnam outlet on Dong Khoi Street in Ho Chi Minh City, company officials said Monday.

The Korean coffee chain has plans to launch up to 300 outlets in Vietnam by 2018, starting with the first in Ho Chi Minh. By the end of this year, it plans to open at least three outlets in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

“We look forward to spreading South Korea’s coffee culture in Vietnam through thorough market research and analyzing customers’ taste,” Caffe Bene said in a statement.

Caffe Bene CEO Kim Sun-kwon and South Korean actor Lee Jong-suk attended the launch party prior to the shop’s opening, where more than 2,000 people queued in line to receive various discounts.

The Ho Chi Minh outlet, covering about 342 square meters, is located in the city’s central commercial district where high-end hotels, restaurants, boutiques and businesses are concentrated.

The store stayed true to Caffe Bene’s interior design concept, which consists of vintage wooden tables, chairs and wall panels. It was also decorated with bookshelves and boasts a spacious seating arrangement.

The menu, however, was more or less localized to cater to locals’ palates.

Caffe Bene said the Ho Chi Minh outlet would sell pomelo juice, lime juice and mango gelato, in addition to its original waffles and bingsu (ground ice with toppings) that are popular at home.

The South Korean franchise is known for its fast expansion in the country and abroad. Its track record includes entry into 11 countries ― including Thailand, China and Japan ― in less than six years following its inception in 2008.

Caffe Bene plans to open shops in seven more countries including Singapore, Brunei and in the Middle East.

By Suk Gee-hyun (monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)