Bringing Vietnamese Coffee and Cuisine to Canada and the Online Market

Jolie Tran is the founder and director of the OATS Kafé in Toronto, Ontario. The small, welcoming Vietnamese coffee shop first opened its doors in August 2020. Jolie’s vision for her young coffee shop is to create a friendly and comfortable in-store atmosphere for customers to enjoy the OATS Kafé’s delicious handcrafted beverages together with an assortment of fresh and tasty Vietnamese snacks. Broadening the scope of her business to include a professional online presence was an important step in growing the OATS Kafé’s market reach.

Having set up shop in such a busy area of town populated with various cozy restaurants and small coffee shops, it is vital for businesses like Jolie’s to stand out in an individual way and provide an especially unique product and environment for coffee enthusiasts and cafe-goers. The OATS Kafé sources its product from local roasters and farmers. These partners share the OATS Kafé’s values in their mission to deliver the best ethically sourced beans and ingredients, to provide an unmatched experience for their customers.

The coffee shop staff work to bring authentic Vietnamese charm, along with outstanding quality and taste to their patrons. The company passionately strives to bridge the vibrant Vietnamese coffee culture with the Toronto coffee shop community.

“ShopHERE is an amazing program that can help entrepreneurs have more confidence and be successful.”

The ShopHERE powered by Google program helps business owners like Jolie with their digital transformation. Coordinators provide free 1-on-1 support to prepare the online store for publishing and provide training on how to manage it. Business owners can receive free eCommerce tools, training, and marketing support to help set their businesses up for long-term success.

One of Jolie’s business goals was to improve her online presence, by making use of tools such as Search Engine Optimization. With her new Shopify store, the OATS Kafé now offers online ordering with a visually appealing menu display. Her business’s Vietnamese coffee bean packages can now reach a clientele of coffee connoisseurs and beginners alike, across the country.

“I received lots of helpful tips and guidance to complete my online site.”

Putting together an online space for her retail products was another objective Jolie was looking to achieve by joining the ShopHERE program, and the service she received from her Coordinators provided just the support she needed. Her new online shop features traditional Vietnamese coffee brewing tools, teaware for everyday use inspired by Vietnamese designs, as well as accessories and sleek lifestyle items for home use.

Both of Jolie’s ShopHERE eCommerce Coordinators were very mindful of her business needs and project ideas. She found the communication she received to be timely and exceptionally professional. Jolie found her coffee shop’s ideal online presentation in the minimalistic display her coordinator configured. She also appreciated the smooth building process.

“Very easy and smooth process with lots of exciting new skills and knowledge to learn.”

Her Coordinators were attentive and helpful at each virtual meeting and guided Jolie through the process. They worked closely with her every step of the way during the building process and answered all her questions. Her Coordinators were knowledgeable about what she needed and were accommodating of any changes she wanted to have done to her website. They were promptly on top of any questions she had, quickly finding out the answer and keeping her updated at all times.

With the skills and tools provided by the ShopHERE program, the OATS Kafé has been able to augment its digital presence and online sales through a strong Google My Business profile, and frequent social media posts on channels such as Facebook and Instagram. Jolie enjoyed being part of the program and would recommend the ShopHERE program to other small and medium businesses looking to start selling online and growing their market potential.

Click here to view the OATS Kafé website and shop all the premium coffee and tea, fashion, and Vietnamese-themed lifestyle products they offer.

Developing an online presence is becoming increasingly important, especially for small businesses. If you or someone you know is interested in getting a business online, you can click here to view more information and sign up for the ShopHERE program.