The store’s most expensive beverage, a Yunlin Gukeng Geisha Coffee, is priced at NT$500 ($16.50) | Photo credit: FamilyMart

Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart has made a foray into Taiwan’s premium coffee shop market with the launch of its Let’s Café Plus concept. 
 

Located in Taipei's Zhongshan-Shuanglian shopping district, the store is a joint venture between FamilyMart’s Taiwanese business and Japan-based UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. 

FamilyMart has been operating coffee kiosks of its more value-focused Let's Café brand across most of its 3,600-strong convenience store network in Taiwan since 2009.  

Let’s Café generates NT$6bn ($197m) in sales annually, with approximately 170 million cups of coffee sold across the convenience store network via Let’s Café in 2021. 

FamilyMart executive Huang Chun-yi said the company expects the new Let’s Café Plus outlet to generate more than NT$10m ($328,000) in sales each year. 

The projection is dependent upon how Taiwanese consumers respond to Let’s Café Plus’ premium coffee offer. The store’s cheapest coffee beverage costs NT$150 ($5.00) while the most expensive, a Yunlin Gukeng Geisha coffee, is priced at NT$500 ($16.50). 

The store will operate on a trial basis until December 2023, with Huang Chun-yi telling local reporters that an assessment of the coffee shop’s operations and profitability would be undertaken before potentially expanding the concept to other FamilyMart stores. 

Founded in Japan, FamilyMart began opening stores in Taiwan in 1998. 

World Coffee portal research forecasts the Taiwanese branded coffee shop market will reach 3,190 outlets by 2025.