Starbucks here for the long haul
When we first opened in December 2015, our first customers were passengers travelling to other countries and tourist arrivals because of our location in the Phnom Penh International Airport. That really supported our brand and allowed us to begin expanding throughout Phnom Penh.
During the first few months of operations, there was a lot of interest from people wanting to learn more about the company. Of course they knew the brand name, but they didn’t know what the Starbucks experience was like.
The Aeon Mall store helped us reach a broader customer base in the busy mall setting. When we came to Cambodia, we knew that we would open a few stores in the first couple years of operations. Our first store outside of the airport was supposed to be the BKK1 flagship store, but because of the time it took to renovate and construct on a former villa complex, we went to Aeon Mall first.
The BKK1 facility gives a huge footprint and is one of the largest Starbucks stores in all of Asean. We opened this store to cater to higher demand. Our general customer base comes from business people, young people and foreigners living and travelling through Phnom Penh. The BKK1 store gives customers a better atmosphere to relax and spend more time in. We also have a successful branch in TK Avenue and our newest one in Exchange Square.
It is hard for us to compare where we stand in the market because we just joined the market and only have a few stores while other coffee shops have been here for over 10 years. But what I can say is that we are in Cambodia for ThePost the long-term business potential and we want to continue to expand.
Because of the brand, we could easily recruit the number of staff that we need. And we are working very hard to make them store managers and coffee masters. This takes a lot of investment by the company to build those skills.
For a coffee master, they have to learn about the difference in preparing coffee and the different qualities of coffee beans. Plus, to become a coffee master, they have to be trained and pass the Starbucks test to be accredited. Overall, we currently employ a staff of 130.
The main difference is that it is open to the public, which is different from the one in Phnom Penh that was only accessible to those that had checked in and gone through the security procedures. The Siem Reap store is outside the check-in area of the airport with outside seating for more than 50 people. Total size of the store is 100 square metres, which similar to the size of our airport facility in Phnom Penh. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.