Five Minutes With.. Nguyen Nguyen, GM, Trung Nguyen Franchising

What makes the best coffee?

The best coffee is the one extracted from the finest quality coffee beans and has a perfect blend of Arabica and Robusta.

Why have you decided to enter the UAE?

We consider the UAE to be the gateway to enter and tap the potential of the overall MENA region and an ideal place to develop a new style and culture of coffee from Far East Asia to the Middle East. Our aim is to bridge between Middle Eastern culture and Far East Asian culture through a coffee cup.

How do you differentiate from chains like Starbucks?

Starbucks has now developed a different product set aside from coffee, including food and other merchandise, and I think that they are starting to lose track of their coffee business. Trung Nguyen, on the other hand, is only focused on providing the purest and finest coffee in the market.

What are your expansion plans for the region?

Our strategy for entering the UAE market is based on three pillars; Finding the right partner (Global Hotels Management is the master franchisor of Trung Nguyen not only in UAE but in the MENA region), finding the right nation to tap and finding the right product.

We think that we are currently on the right track. We are planning to build 100 Trung Nguyen coffee shops across the MENA region in 10 years and will perfect the distribution system in MENA for the first two years to tap a wider market of supermarkets and hotels.

What is your leadership style?

Strong, aggressive in tapping new markets, focussed and determined.

What makes the perfect employee?

A good heart, knowledge, and a professional attitude, with a passion for what he does.

Define success in five words….

Ambition, passion (for coffee), creativity (to optimise and innovate new products).

Your tips for becoming the boss….

Be brave, utilise social faux and be creative with what you do.