Helping to create a greener environment by selling takeaway coffee from a motorbike?

Phan Nguyen Thuy Dung (22 years old), a final-year student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, is the owner of Do Cafe (nicknamed Dunnie), which recently opened in Trang Bom, Dong Nai. Thuy Dung's only "capital" for Do Cafe is her motorbike. In just two days, from brainstorming to preparation, Do Cafe was born and opened its doors on July 1st.

Create a coffee shop that reflects your own unique style.

The idea of ​​selling coffee from a scooter was conceived by Thùy Dung and her friend Ánh after seeing similar carts during a trip to Da Lat. Thùy Dung suddenly thought, "Why not create my own coffee corner with my own style and personality?" After that trip, Do Coffee was born.

For a long time, selling coffee for takeaway has been a familiar business model, usually done from pushcarts.

Thùy Dung recounted: “To have a pushcart that suited my taste, I could have spent a considerable amount of money and time on it. Since I already had a Cub motorcycle at home, I figured out how to design it and realize my idea within two days. By the third day, the project was operational.”

"I am free, by my own will" and coffee that says "no to plastic."

Although the coffee shop currently operates on a "take away" model, Thùy Dung always prepares a small wooden table and two chairs so that she and Ánh can sell and drink coffee right there.

The name Do Coffee originates from the phrase "I am free, I am by myself." This is the title of a song by a rapper that Thùy Dung admires, and it also serves as the guiding principle and lifestyle of the young owner.

“You can do anything you like when you truly dare to do it. So, 'Do' in coffee means both /do/ in 'freedom' or /du:/ in 'to do' - just do it. The freedom we always yearn for isn't far away; it exists within our own souls,” Thuy Dung shared.

What makes each cup of coffee at Do special is that it says no to plastic. All cups are organic, made from paper, with paper lids, paper straws, and a cute little rope for easy transport.

Because the coffee shop has two main customer groups. Firstly, there are those who love the unique coffee shop concept and share a similar fashion style, music, and lifestyle expressed through their clothing. Therefore, for each sales occasion, she always chooses neat outfits that clearly reflect her personality, allowing her to enjoy the morning like a normal person while also creating a "distinctive look" that matches her Cub motorcycle.

Secondly, there's the working class, the uncles, aunts, and older siblings in the town. Everyone is busy with their daily lives, and sometimes people don't pay much attention to the little things. Using organic products serves as a lovely reminder if they happen to see the sign.

“I hope that other coffee shops can switch to using paper cups. If any competitors ask about the source of organic materials from paper, rice, sugarcane bagasse, etc., I'm willing to share if they're willing to change to help make the environment greener. Because coffee shops don't operate based on revenue or profit. I just hope that every day when I appear on the sidewalk, many more people will see my sign,” Thuy Dung confided.

Unlike other coffee shops, Do's logo doesn't contain any images related to business; it only features the slogan "I am free by myself," which is what Thuy Dung wanted to convey.

With only two days to prepare, Thùy Dung handled everything herself, from paper cups and wooden pallet boxes to logo design, right after inviting Ánh to join. Thùy Dung was fortunate to receive enthusiastic support from family and friends for every step, from the smallest details to the company's launch.

When asked about her most memorable experience during the opening of her shop, Thùy Dung reminisced about the first day of operation: “It was the first day of business, July 1st, 2022. I decided to park on the sidewalk without widely announcing it to my friends beforehand, and without posting anything on social media. First, I wanted to test the reaction of passersby, to see what they would think when they saw our sign that said 'say no to plastic cups'. On the first day, I only sold a mere 17 cups of coffee, of which only 5-6 were bought by passersby, the rest were family members who knew about it and came to support us.”

After that day, Thùy Dung had more photos. She wrote an official announcement about her project on her personal Facebook page and received a lot of support from people.

Do offers two basic types of coffee: black iced coffee and iced milk coffee. The coffee base is brewed using a filter, resulting in a strong, concentrated brew, so the flavor at Do is very similar to the iced filter coffee of Southern Vietnam. As for the milk coffee, Thùy Dung's skillful hands have created a slightly creamy and thick consistency, which is also a key factor in keeping customers coming back.

At Do, freedom is what owner Dunnie conveys through every cup of coffee. Currently, Do Coffee is open every Saturday and Sunday morning in Trang Bom town, Dong Nai province. Many friends want her to open a branch in Ho Chi Minh City, but she currently has another main job alongside selling coffee. Furthermore, finding a suitable location in Ho Chi Minh City is not easy when starting a business, especially for two young women who are only 22 years old.

With her first startup project, Thùy Dung shared: “Young people should do what they like. We can be 'free,' but please don't be 'negligent' or 'careless.' What we should do and what we want to do must always go hand in hand so that we can both develop and not lose our individuality. Secondly, we should spread the message of green living: 'say no to plastic cups.' From the smallest things in life, we will minimize the use of plastic.”

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao