OK Espresso kiosks launched

The economic slowdown and decrease in consumer spending are major factors in this.

The kiosks sell coffee at just Bt20 to Bt25 a cup, and anyone interested in running one need invest only between Bt30,000 and Bt100,000, depending on its size.

"This is much cheaper than other franchises, and you can run one along with your existing restaurant," said Pharis Anukulthanakarn, the company's general manager.

The company already has 25 kiosks and counts on having 60 by the end of the year.

It is also experimenting with a new brand, Viva Cafe, which was started last year by converting six of its 10 NinetyFour Coffee branches at filling stations; the other four fillingstation NinetyFour Coffees will stay as they are, and the company plans to open more Vivas if it comes across good locations, Pharis said.

NinetyFour Coffee will remain the main brand. There are now 40 NinetyFour Coffee branches, and three more at most are envisaged.

The company, which has always focused on the standalone for¬mat, is turning to community malls but wary of large shopping malls, due to fierce competition.

It expects revenue to grow 25 per cent to Bt500 million this year.