Amidst a wave of price hikes affecting nearly half of F&B businesses in the first half of the year, Ho Chi Minh City has witnessed the emergence of a counter-trend: ultra-affordable offerings like 7,000 VND bubble tea and 69,000 VND hotpot. However, experts caution that these shockingly low prices are underpinned by razor-thin profit margins and stringent operational discipline, making it a challenging feat to transform this trend into a sustainable business model.