The chain, founded in California, U.S., opened its first Thai location at Central Park on Friday, followed by a full-experience flagship at EmQuartier on Monday, according to The Nation Thailand.
Thailand is the seventh country where Blue Bottle has established a presence, following the United States, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
The two-site launch gives the company an immediate presence at major mixed-use retail developments in Bangkok’s Silom-Rama IV and Sukhumvit areas.
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Coffee cups with the Blue Bottle logo seen at the opening of the Blue Bottle Central Park store in Bangkok, Thailand, August 2026. Photo via Facebook/Central Pattana |
A 2025 estimate by the Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand put the country’s speciality coffee segment at about 30 billion baht (US$917 million), equivalent to 46% of an overall coffee market valued at 65 billion baht. The segment was estimated to be expanding by 10%-15% annually.
Blue Bottle’s first Thailand café occupies more than 130 square meters on the first floor of Central Park at Dusit Central Park, according to Forbes Thailand.
This is the first Blue Bottle location in Southeast Asia to feature the full-format, five-head Kyoto Style Espresso Tap Bar.
The EmQuartier outlet operates as Blue Bottle’s first full-experience flagship in Thailand. Opening-day reports described a space of more than 200 square metres with more than 80 seats, a full pour-over bar, hot and cold beverages, merchandise and products available exclusively at that branch.
Blue Bottle was founded in Oakland, California, by James Freeman, a former professional musician who began the business in 2002 with personal savings of about US$20,000 and a single coffee roaster.
Freeman initially sold roasted beans from a small cart at the Old Oakland Farmers Market. The operation later developed into a network of cafés spanning the U.S. and Asia.
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Customers seen at the opening of Blue Bottle Central Park store in Bangkok, Thailand, August 2026. Photo via Facebook/Central Pattana |
The brand built its identity around serving coffee while it was still fresh, with attention given to bean selection, roasting dates, brewing methods and extraction.
Pour-over coffee became a central part of that model. The method takes longer than automated preparation and depends on the barista controlling factors such as the amount of coffee, water flow and extraction time.
Thai launch material puts Blue Bottle’s current network at more than 140 outlets worldwide. The company operates across the United States and Asian markets including Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and now Thailand.
Blue Bottle’s international expansion has been accompanied by two major changes in ownership.
Nestlé acquired a 68% majority stake in the company in 2017 for about $425 million, valuing the business at more than $700 million at the time, according to Thairath Online.
In April 2026, Nestlé confirmed an agreement to sell Blue Bottle to Centurium Capital, a Chinese private-equity company and the controlling shareholder of Luckin Coffee.
Nestlé did not disclose the financial terms. Earlier media reports valued the transaction at less than $400 million, rather than the approximate $400-million price presented as confirmed in some accounts.