The South Korean coffee chain will debut in Laos in June 2025 before launching in Cambodia and Myanmar as it seeks growth in emerging markets across the region
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Ediya is one of South Korea’s largest coffee chains with over 4,000 stores | Photo credit: via Shutterstock
South Korea’s Ediya Coffee has signed a master franchise agreement with Vientiane-based Kolao Group to launch in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, with a first store expected to open in June 2025.
Founded in 2001, Ediya is one of South Korea’s largest coffee chains with over 4,000 stores. The franchise deal comes a month after Ediya launched in Malaysia with a drive-thru outlet in Kuala Lumpur and is a key component of its bid to scale across Southeast Asia.
“Based on our success in overseas markets such as Guam and Malaysia, we are fully launching our efforts to target the Southeast Asian market. We will do our best to establish Ediya Coffee as a global coffee brand representing Korea through our cooperation with Kolao Group,” an Ediya spokesperson said.
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The Southeast Asian branded coffee shop market has expanded rapidly over the last few years, with Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines all posting year-on-year outlet growth above 10% in 2023, according to World Coffee Portal research.
Emerging coffee shop markets, including Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, are increasingly adopting premium coffee culture amid the growing influence of large international brands, such as Starbucks, Café Amazon and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Korean culture is also increasingly prominent in these markets, especially among younger consumers, with the influence of the Korean Wave found in music, TV, fashion and coffee.
Seoul-based SPC Group also has a master franchise agreement in place with Kolao Group to launch Paris Baguette in Laos in 2025, alongside separate deals to bring the bakery-café chain to Thailand and Brunei. Paris Baguette has also opened three stores in Cambodia since debuting in June 2021.
Gangnam-gu-based Coffee Smith also operates a single site in Cambodia while French-inspired bakery-café chain TOUS les JOURS re-entered the market with two Phnom Penh stores in May 2024. Tom N Toms Coffee is currently the only South Korean branded coffee chain operating in Myanmar, with four outlets.