Lâm Bội Minh
The man behind a 55+ year tea & coffee legend — from Bảo Lộc highlands to a hundred-million-dollar deal
Notable Quotes
“A good name is sooner lost than won. It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only a minute to lose it.”
“To formulate a perfect beverage recipe, my team and I experimented hundreds of times to choose one that satisfied all the requirements of colour, fragrance, beauty, and taste.”
“If you dare to think and dare to do, wisdom will always shine through, especially in times of difficulty.”
Advice
Quality is everything
Every recipe must go through hundreds of tests. Never trade quality for speed of expansion.
Start from the smallest steps
"I built Phúc Long by researching and learning from the simplest and smallest steps."
Dare to think, dare to act
"Wisdom always shines through, especially in difficult times." Just dare to take action.
Key Highlights
- ✓Founded Phúc Long (1968) from Bảo Lộc — a tea & coffee brand over 55 years old
- ✓Masan deal: sold 31% stake, shareholders received $110 million (2022)
- ✓"Quality over quantity" philosophy — every recipe tested hundreds of times
- ✓Expanded into hospitality: Phúc Long Luxury hotel (Đà Nẵng, 2025)
Biography
Lâm Bội Minh was born in 1946 and started his journey with Phúc Long in 1968 on the tea highlands of Bảo Lộc. He personally researched and learned about tea and coffee "from the smallest and simplest steps." Every recipe was tested hundreds of times to meet all criteria: color, fragrance, beauty, and taste. In the 1990s, when espresso machines were still a luxury item, he was determined to import one to his shop in District 1, HCMC. His philosophy: "Value lies not in the number of stores but in the quality of each store." In early 2022, Masan Group acquired a 31% stake, with shareholders receiving $110 million. An extremely private entrepreneur — no public photos, no social media — yet he left an enormous legacy for Vietnam's F&B industry.
Apply this to your shop right now
Enter your specific numbers (capital, expected revenue, costs) → know if your shop is viable in 5 minutes. Free, no signup.
Articles & Resources
Other Experts
Nguyễn Hải Ninh
Serial entrepreneur — from Urban Station to The Coffee House, M Village, and Every Half
Ngô Nguyên Kha
CEO of The Coffee House — from Sony Ericsson Country Manager and Mobiistar founder to leading a major coffee chain
Trần Nhật Quang
Pioneer of Vietnam's first farm-to-cup Arabica coffee model
Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ
"Vietnam's Coffee King" — the man who brought Vietnamese coffee to 60+ countries
Found this useful? Share with friends!
Help more F&B owners discover this free tool.