David Thái

First overseas Vietnamese to start a private company in Hanoi — founder of Vietnam's largest coffee chain

Notable Quotes

“You can't do that. This is a Vietnamese brand, this is Vietnam.”
Source: CafeF

“I've never taken money out of Highlands. I earn money elsewhere and pour it all into Highlands. That's a real commitment.”
Source: CafeF

“My strategy is people — it's all about people. You can't succeed without everyone. You just can't.”
Source: CafeF

Advice

Go all-in on your venture

David has never taken dividends from Highlands, reinvesting 100% of profits. Personal commitment is the foundation of success.

People are strategy #1

Finding the right people and making them work together — that's the hard part. Coffee is easy, strategy is easy — people are hard.

Protect your brand identity

Even when a lucrative offer comes, the core values of a Vietnamese brand should never be for sale.

Key Highlights

✓First overseas Vietnamese to establish a private business in Hanoi (1998)
✓Rejected Starbucks' acquisition offer to protect Vietnamese brand identity
✓Young Global Leader — World Economic Forum (2009)
✓Has never withdrawn dividends — reinvests 100% of profits into Highlands

Biography

David Thái (Thái Phi Diệp) was born in 1972 in Vietnam and moved to the US in 1979. He grew up in Seattle and graduated in Business Administration from the University of Washington. In 1996, he returned to Vietnam with just $1,000. In 1998, he became the first overseas Vietnamese licensed to establish a private business in Hanoi. In 2002, the first two Highlands Coffee stores opened. When Starbucks offered to acquire the brand, he firmly refused: "You can't do that. This is a Vietnamese brand, this is Vietnam." In 2009, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader. Remarkably, he has never withdrawn dividends from Highlands — he earns money elsewhere and reinvests everything back into the company.