Founded in 2016 by Nguyen Thi Thuan, Founder and CEO of THREE O’CLOCK, the Vietnam based café brand has grown into one of the country’s leading 24/7 coffee and tea chains. Built around the energy of a generation that never sleeps, THREE O’CLOCK combines bold flavours, vibrant design, and round the clock operations to create a distinct café experience rooted in Vietnam’s fast moving urban culture. With more than 22 outlets across Vietnam and active international franchise operations in India and Indonesia, the brand is now positioning itself for wider global expansion through strategic franchise partnerships.
Leading this international growth journey is Nguyen Thi Thuan, who continues to drive the brand’s vision, business strategy, and operational excellence as Founder and CEO. In this interview with World Franchise Associates, she shares insights into building Vietnam’s pioneer 24/7 café chain, scaling a localization ready franchise system, and expanding THREE O’CLOCK across diverse international markets while maintaining strong brand identity and customer experience.
How long have you been in your current position and what are your key responsibilities?
I have led THREE O’CLOCK as founder and CEO since the brand’s inception in 2016, nearly a decade of building from the ground up. My responsibilities span overall brand strategy, business development, international franchise expansion, and ensuring operational excellence across our entire system. I work closely with my core team daily to keep the brand’s vision sharp and execution tight.
Overall, how long have you been involved in franchising?
We began exploring franchise development domestically before taking our first international steps around 2024-2025. So just about nearly 2 years in active franchising, enough time to learn that no two markets are alike, and that a strong system is the only thing that travels well.
What do you like most about your job?
Watching something you built with your own hands take root in another country, that never gets old. When our Jakarta store opened, or when I see our Indian partners adapting the brand to their local culture while keeping the THREE O’CLOCK spirit alive, I’m reminded why I started this. I also genuinely love the people side: building a team that believes in what we’re creating together.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Maintaining brand integrity at scale and across borders. It’s easy to compromise on standards when distance is involved. The hardest part of my job is building systems strong enough that quality doesn’t depend on me being in the room and finding franchise partners who care about the brand as much as we do.
What is it like to work with franchisees from different countries and cultures?
It’s one of the most rewarding and humbling parts of this journey. Every market teaches you something. India challenged us to rethink everything from product to store layout to communication style. Indonesia showed us how fast a brand can connect when the timing and partner are right. I’ve learned that successful international franchising is less about exporting a formula and more about building a genuine partnership, with mutual respect, clear expectations, and a shared commitment to the end customer.
What is the main reason you are considering international franchising?
THREE O’CLOCK was built for a generation that doesn’t operate on a 9-to-5 schedule, and that generation exists everywhere. International franchising is how we scale that vision beyond Vietnam’s borders without losing what makes the brand special. It also allows us to grow with partners who have deep local knowledge, which ultimately builds a stronger, more resilient brand than we could achieve alone.
What is unique or special about your brand’s products and services?
Two things set us apart: our 24/7 operating model and our product identity. We don’t just serve coffee, we serve a mood, a moment, a lifestyle built around late nights, early mornings, and everything in between. Our menu is designed to perform across all dayparts, with a signature aesthetic and flavor profile that resonates strongly with younger urban consumers. We also build in structured flexibility so partners can introduce locally relevant products without diluting the core brand.
Why do you think you will be successful internationally?
Because we’ve already proven it under real market pressure. India and Indonesia are not easy markets, different regulations, consumer behaviors, supply chains, and cultures. We navigated those complexities, refined our systems, and came out with a replicable model. We don’t enter new markets with assumptions; we enter with frameworks, support structures, and the humility to listen to our partners on the ground.
What are the priority countries or territories you are looking to develop?
Our immediate focus is on high-growth markets across South and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, where young urban populations, rising coffee culture, and strong F&B franchise appetite align well with our brand positioning. We are also open to conversations in the Middle East, particularly UAE and Saudi Arabia, where the 24/7 lifestyle and premium café concepts might have strong traction.
Why have you identified these countries and territories as a top priority?
These markets share key characteristics with where THREE O’CLOCK has already succeeded: large youth demographics, rapidly urbanizing cities, a growing middle class with discretionary spending on café experiences, and a proven appetite for international F&B brands. Our 24/7 model also specifically fits markets with vibrant nightlife, student populations, and late working urban culture, all of which are prominent in these regions.
What are the main qualifications and capabilities you are looking for in a master franchisee or area developer?
We look for partners with hands on F&B or retail operations experience, an established local network for site acquisition and supply chain, and the financial capacity to develop a minimum committed store count within an agreed timeline. Beyond credentials, we prioritize partners who are genuinely brand driven, people who will protect the customer experience, invest in their teams, and communicate openly with us. Cultural alignment and long term commitment matter more to us than size alone.
How long does it typically take to finalise an agreement once you find a qualified and capable master franchisee or area developer for a new market?
From initial qualification to signed agreement, the process typically takes 2 to 3 months. This includes discovery calls and in person or virtual brand presentations, due diligence on both sides, territory and development schedule negotiations, and legal review of the master franchise agreement. We don’t rush this stage, a franchise relationship is a long term partnership, and we’d rather take an extra few weeks to get full alignment than move fast and encounter mismatched expectations later. That said, with a well prepared and decisive partner, we’ve moved through this process efficiently.
Once you finalise an agreement, how long does it take for the market entry planning before you launch the business in a new market?
Market entry planning typically runs 4 to 6 months from agreement signing to first store opening, depending on site availability and local regulatory requirements. This phase covers site selection and approval, store design adaptation using our Playbook, supply chain setup, staff recruitment and training, and pre launch marketing. Our international support team works alongside the franchisee throughout this period, we don’t hand over a manual and step back. The goal is to have the partner fully operational and confident before day one, not learning on the job after opening.
Any advice you can share with parties who are interested in getting into franchising by acquiring rights for a local or international franchise?
Do your homework on the brand before you fall in love with it. Understand not just the product, but the system behind it, how the franchisor supports you, how disputes are handled, what the actual unit economics look like beyond the pitch deck. Visit existing locations, speak to current franchisees honestly, and assess whether the franchisor’s values align with yours. Franchising is not a shortcut to entrepreneurship, it’s a structured partnership. The best franchisees I’ve worked with succeed because they respect the system while bringing genuine local insight and energy to their market. If you’re looking for full creative control, franchising may not be the right fit. But if you want to build something proven with a support network behind you, it can be one of the most rewarding business paths available.
Any additional information you would like to share about your brand and your international expansion plans?
THREE O’CLOCK is entering its next growth phase with a clear focus: deepen our existing markets in India and Indonesia while selectively opening 2 to 4 new country markets by 2028-2029. We are not chasing volume, we are building a network of committed partners who can grow with us long term. We are also investing heavily in our internal systems, training infrastructure, and brand toolkit to ensure every new market we enter is better supported than the last. For the right partner in the right market, this is an early mover opportunity in a brand with genuine momentum and a concept that has no direct global competitor at scale.
Anything else that you’d like to add?
What excites me most about where THREE O’CLOCK is today is that we are still early enough that international partners can genuinely shape how the brand grows in their market, not just execute a rigid playbook, but co create something meaningful within a strong framework. We take every partnership seriously, and we show up for our franchisees the way we expect them to show up for their customers. If that kind of relationship resonates with you, we’d love to have a conversation.
