THE pandemic does not hinder Malaysian leading lifestyle tea brand Tealive from spreading it wings to another new market abroad – this time in Cambodia.
Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, the owner of Tealive, has inked a master franchise agreement with a unit of HSC Group, Cambodia’s largest food and beverage player, to set up 25 Tealive outlets in five years. Cambodia will be its eighth market.
Tealive currently serves over five million consumers per month in Malaysia with presence in Australia, Brunei, Myanmar, the Philippines, the UK and Vietnam.
Loob Holding opined that its Cambodian partner is a good fit for the Tealive brand as it has been custodian of various international brands in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.
“Our confidence in HSC Group is further bolstered by their bold plans to set up our first outlet over 3,000 square feet at a Phnom Penh choice location,” Loob Holdings founder and CEO Bryan Loo pointed out.
“This outlet will have properly planned dine-in facilities complete with a live entertainment section where singers will perform each night.”
Meanwhile, HSC Group is owned by Oknha Sok Hong, the son of well-known Cambodian tycoon Oknha Sok Kong whose Sokimex conglomerate is involved in diverse businesses including Cambodia’s largest petrol station network.
Besides retail brands and cosmetics, HSC Group manages international F&B brands like Paris Baguette, Crystal Jade Restaurant, Burger King, 100 Plus and others in Cambodia.
According to Loo, on its company part will be to bring in the latest Tealive 3.0 format that meets new normal requirements such as contactless ordering and payment, drive-through and drive-in models, coupled up with the full range of Tealive Eats snacks.
The store will take on the café ambience where customers will chill and spend a lot more time than currently.
To-recap, Tealive embarked on its new innovative initiatives and facelift last year with Tealive 3.0 to take modern tea culture to the next level by offering Tealive Eats that provides a range of hot snacks and finger food was extended to Deli Bakes, a new line of baked snacks and merchandise for the modern grab-and-go crowd.
Commenting on the Tealive franchise, Oknha Sok Hong said the timing was ideal as Cambodians were now ready to accept modern tea culture. In addition, various international brands have entered the market over the years and there’s much room to grow. – March 3, 2021
