The Coffee Club Thailand, an Australian-style coffee shop and restaurant under Minor Food Group, is beefing up its efforts to make Thai consumers its main segment as part of a long-term sales strategy.
Nongchanok Stananonth, general manager of The Coffee Club, said the target was for Thais to comprise 70% of customers, compared with a pre-pandemic level of only 30%.
Covid-19 prompted the company to adapt its strategies, focusing more on locals instead of relying on foreign tourists.
Ms Nongchanok said the company planned to open six new branches in various locations to increase its brand exposure among Thais.
"Brand awareness of The Coffee Club is growing among Thai customers," she said. "After surviving the pandemic for two years, we continued to develop our business and now 60% of customers are Thais, with 40% foreigners, compared with 30:70 before the pandemic."
The new branches are away from downtown Bangkok and Sukhumvit Road, making the brand more reachable, said Ms Nongchanok.
Plans are also being developed to change the logo next year for a "fresh and trendy" rebrand, she said.
Ms Nongchanok said sales have grown continuously this year since restrictions were relaxed, which has been attributed to the company's exclusive menus as well as the opening of new branches in malls, office buildings and mixed-use projects.
The company plans to roll out new food, dessert, bakery and beverage items to meet customer demand. Restaurant layouts will be updated to be more contemporary, while new branches are planned for tourist areas, she said.
The Coffee Club's Grab & Go shops, sized 30-40 square metres, are set to be unveiled, with the first shop at the Jungceylon mall in Phuket, said Ms Nongchanok. More branches will be opened next month.
Moreover, food trucks will be introduced in the Pinklao area of Bangkok to attract new customers, she said.
"VIP customers through our loyalty programme are also key to our huge sales growth, and these VIP customers will help sustain our business in the long term," said Ms Nongchanok, adding that the company aims to have 100,000 VIP customers this year and 200,000 in 2023.