The Fourth Time’s the Charm: How Nguyen Hai Ninh Conquered the Startup World with The Coffee House

Founded in 2021 by Tran Le Minh Truc (COO) and Vo Duy Phu (CEO), Every Half began as a coffee roastery and has since expanded into a thriving retail chain. The company’s director, Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh, is also a key figure in its success.

All three individuals are alumni of The Coffee House, with Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh being the founder of the popular coffee chain. With a strong team and a passion for coffee, Every Half has quickly made its mark in the specialty coffee market.

Currently, Every Half operates 14 stores in Ho Chi Minh City and aims to grow its domestic presence by 150%, expanding its store network and testing new models. Additionally, the company has begun exporting its roasted coffee products to North America under its own brand, leveraging e-commerce platforms to reach a global audience.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh’s success with Every Half marks his fourth triumphant entrepreneurial venture, and the third time he has made a significant impact in the F&B industry, even without assuming a direct founding role.

Urban Station: Where It All Began

By the end of 2012, Urban Station began franchising its brand, and within a year, it had expanded to 20 stores. At its peak, the chain boasted over 60 outlets, selling 11,000 cups of coffee daily and generating monthly revenues of $6 million. Foreign investors valued Urban Station at $2 million during this successful period.

However, in 2014, Mr. Ninh made the bold decision to step away from Urban Station, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another: The Coffee House.

The Coffee House: Where Coffee Meets Community

During the tech startup boom in Vietnam, Nguyen Hai Ninh seized the opportunity to integrate technology into his business model. He invested heavily in software management and customer loyalty applications, fostering a loyal community around The Coffee House brand.

Within five years, The Coffee House expanded to nearly 150 stores nationwide, becoming one of the largest domestic coffee chains in Vietnam. In 2019, the company generated revenues of $800 billion VND, earning Nguyen Hai Ninh a spot on the Forbes Under 30 Asia list for that year.

The following year, the chain added 25 more stores, bringing its total to 175 outlets across 18 provinces and cities. However, once again, Nguyen Hai Ninh chose to step away from the executive team, quietly preparing for another bold move.

M Village: A People-Centric Real Estate Startup

M Village embraced a tech startup mindset, emphasizing lightweight operations, rapid model replication, and a customer-centric approach. Its minimalist design, diverse shared amenities, and technology-driven management quickly caught the eye of investors. Within a year, M Village secured over $20 million in funding from prominent funds such as BEVC, VinaCapital Ventures, and East Ventures.

A common thread throughout Nguyen Hai Ninh’s four entrepreneurial journeys is his ability to anticipate and address the needs of his community. From Urban Station catering to Gen Z coffee enthusiasts to The Coffee House embracing the “coffee as a lifestyle” concept, and from M Village providing healing living spaces post-pandemic to Every Half focusing on coffee origins and experience, he has consistently stayed one step ahead.

While many view Nguyen Hai Ninh as a “serial founder,” his approach to entrepreneurship is unique. For him, each project represents a complete startup lifecycle: researching user behavior, designing the model, building a team, market testing, and only then seeking investment for growth.

“Raising capital is a consequence, not a goal,” he once shared at a workshop. “When you clearly solve a problem for a defined group of people, have a system to execute, and learn quickly, investors will come to you.”