Controversy over Ha Long coffee shop's strange regulation of "stopping serving mass customers"

Coffee shop with strange rules

On May 16, information about a coffee shop in Ha Long ( Quang Ninh ) making a special announcement received a large amount of interaction with many mixed opinions.

Specifically, according to the fanpage, the restaurant announced that it would "stop providing mass services"; focusing on regular customers.

With the posted content, the coffee shop representative said that "this change will lead to disappointment and may give rise to gossip".

Many customers revealed that they had to come multiple times to be served and the wait for drinks could last up to an hour (Photo: Character provided).

According to research, this is information from Ban Xu Coffee Shop - a famous beverage service provider located in Hong Hai ward (Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province).

Previously, this coffee shop also received mixed opinions about its unique service.

It is only open during business hours, closed on Saturdays and Sundays, does not sell take-out, and only sells a limited number of drinks per day. In addition, customers coming here often have to wait quite a long time for their drinks, from 40 to 60 minutes to be served.

Some customers who have experienced the restaurant, most of them expressed regret when they heard the news.

Quynh Trang had been to the restaurant three times but was refused service each time because it was too crowded. The next time, she had to wait about 60 minutes to be served.

The 20-year-old customer said the waiting time was worth it because the drinks and snacks at the restaurant were of good quality and reasonably priced compared to the general market.

"A full glass of water with side dishes costs from 65,000 VND. To me, this is a reasonable price compared to many other restaurants. It would be a pity if the restaurant did not serve the general public," the customer shared.

Drink prices at the shop start from 65,000 VND/portion (Photo: Character provided).

Meanwhile, Phuong Lien knew about the shop since the time it served two drinks at its old location: egg coffee and traditional coffee. When the shop moved to a new location, she became a regular customer, coming almost every day.

"I was surprised to see the restaurant announce such a thing. Maybe the restaurant wants to filter out customers to target the group of people they want to serve," the customer commented.

In addition, many people believe that the beverage industry in Vietnam is currently developing rapidly but the elimination is equally fierce. With the "unusual" decision of the shop, no matter how good the quality of the drinks is, customers are willing to look for new places.

Does not welcoming mass customers mean discriminating against customers?

Regarding this issue, speaking with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Hoang Tung - Chairman of F&B Investment - commented that not serving mass customers is not discriminatory towards customers.

Perhaps, this is the way coffee shops aim to maintain customer experience, as a way to retain core values. This is a common model of shops that want to bring customers a high-quality experience.

According to the F&B industry expert, in Vietnam as well as in the world, there are many restaurants applying this principle.

For example, there are shops that only serve customers who drink on the spot, not take away. Because when customers enjoy the drink at the shop, the original flavor of the drink is preserved. Or there are shops that only sell a limited quantity per day. Even when there are more customers, they do not sell more to ensure the quality of each item, not leaving leftovers.

Or in the world, there is also a model of a shop that is not public like "hidden bar" (operates secretly). With these shops, even rich customers do not know about them but must be introduced by regular customers. This is the way to keep a private customer base with good taste.

"Returning to the story of Ban Xu Coffee, I think that despite the controversy, this establishment still maintains its business philosophy of investing, selecting and focusing on the customer group they want to target.

Serving too many customers can destroy the core value of the restaurant. In business, knowing who the customers are is very important," Mr. Tung analyzed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tranh-cai-quy-dinh-la-cua-quan-ca-phe-ha-long-dung-phuc-vu-khach-dai-tra-20250516230355262.htm