Thai energy giant PTT to triple coffee shops overseas to 1,000

BANGKOK — Thai state-owned oil major PTT plans an overseas expansion for an entirely different kind of fuel, as the group looks to more than triple the number of offshore shops in its Cafe Amazon coffee chain to 1,000 by 2025.

The chain currently has 298 locations outside of Thailand. PTT aims to ink franchise agreements with major restaurant operators to add more coffee shops abroad.

The PTT group will provide support in areas such as marketing and localizing menus. A team of experts has been established to advise on franchise development. The goal is to have Cafe Amazon generate $1 billion in sales by 2025.

PTT Oil and Retail Business, the group company that operates Cafe Amazon, has adopted “retailing beyond fuel” as its new slogan. More than 90% of the company’s revenue last year came from the oil business, which is mostly concerned with running filling stations.

Cafe Amazon…