'Dream of clean coffee' on basalt highlands

From a small café to a big aspiration

Born in 1990 in Tho Xuan commune, Thanh Hoa province, Le Van Hoang's childhood was surrounded by the green of rice fields, bamboo hedges, and the scent of straw smoke. That simple Thanh land nurtured in him diligence and an aspiration to rise up, which later became invaluable assets on his startup journey.

At the age of 16, Hoang and his family left their hometown and moved to the red-soil Central Highlands, part of Dak Nong province (now Lam Dong province), to begin a new life. The landscape here was entirely different from his old village, with endless stretches of red basalt soil hills, layered forests, and the aroma of ripe coffee permeating the air during every harvest season. That passionate aroma planted in the young man a profound love for coffee beans, which carry cultural and economic values, as well as the pride of the Central Highlands people.

From the days he followed his father to the fields, witnessing each drop of sweat fall to the ground, Hoang soon realized that coffee was not only an agricultural product, but it also held the labor, faith, and livelihood of farmers. From that awareness, the dream of building his own coffee brand began to take shape.

The love for coffee, along with determination and bravery, paved the way for Hoang's special startup journey. This is a challenging but meaningful path, where he chose to pursue clean coffee and wished that every bean would hold true value, conquer the market, and become a reputable brand.

In 2012, when still being a university student in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoang spent most of his free time learning about processing procedures, roasting techniques, and organic production methods. He realized that the domestic coffee market remained unstable and lacked transparency, while the farmers who created real value were often underappreciated. "I wanted to make clean coffee so that both growers and consumers are respected," Hoang recalled.

After graduation, Hoang worked for several companies to gain management experience and deepen his understanding of organic coffee production. By 2014, he returned to Bac Gia Nghia ward, Lam Dong, and opened a small café. The café served both as a testing ground and a "laboratory" for his big dream.

He personally selected the beans, bought only ripe coffee, and handled drying, roasting, and brewing by himself. The café initially had few customers, but those who came were impressed by the pure coffee flavor and the young owner's sincerity. "Every batch of coffee is a test of trust. I never want to deceive its true flavor," Hoang said.

In October 2015, Hoang founded Enjoi Coffee Co., Ltd., officially entering the professional business world. His goal was not merely to sell coffee but to build a clean coffee ecosystem, where farmers, businesses, and customers share value together.

The turning point named clean coffee

In 2016, Hoang expanded his raw material areas by encouraging households to grow coffee organically, without chemicals or adulteration, using sustainable techniques and selective harvesting. Initially, many assumed that producing clean coffee was labor-intensive, with lower yields, while prices might not be high.

However, Hoang committed to purchasing all the farmers' output at 15–20% above market price while providing technical guidance and supporting them with membrane houses and drying systems. After a few crops, farmers began to see clear benefits, such as healthier soil, stronger trees, higher-quality beans, and most importantly, stable selling prices.

By 2017, Enjoi Coffee had entered a rapid growth phase. While the Vietnamese coffee market was affected by multiple incidents involving adulterated coffee, Hoang chose to invest in a closed roasting and grinding line, implement an electronic traceability system, and develop his own quality standards. This direction helped Enjoi quickly become a pioneering brand in organic and clean coffee in Dak Nong.

In 2019, Enjoi Coffee exported its first shipments to South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and the United States, marking a significant turning point in its journey to affirm the Vietnamese brand. Coffee bags with the Enjoi logo, rich with the aroma of red basalt soil, successfully met strict standards of international markets.

To date, Enjoi Coffee has partnered with more than 30 farmer households, forming a raw-material zone that produces hundreds of tons each year. The company now has eight distribution points across the Central Highlands, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi, creating stable jobs for hundreds of workers with monthly incomes of VND 6-15 million. Enjoi Coffee's annual revenue reaches around VND 20 billion, with clean coffee products accounting for the majority.

Ms. H’Mo Eban, one of the farmers who has stuck with Enjoi since the early days, shared, "Previously, we sold to traders, and the prices were unstable. Working with Enjoi means our coffee is now purchased at higher prices, and we are guided in organic farming methods. Having our coffee attached to a brand makes us very proud."

The sweet fruit of kindness

According to Mr. Trinh Anh, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Gia Nghia Ward, where Enjoi’s headquarters and roasting facility are located, the Enjoi Coffee brand not only brings economic value, but it is also the locality’s pride. "Hoang is the model of young people who dare to think, dare to do, and always link business with community responsibility. Besides creating jobs for young workers, he also regularly provides organic farming guidance to disadvantaged households, helping many families escape poverty and gradually stabilize their lives," Mr. Trinh Anh added.

During the recent trip to visit Enjoi Coffee's production model, Mr. Le Trong Yen, Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, highly appreciated the approach of young entrepreneur Le Van Hoang. "This is considered a pioneering organic coffee model implemented in a substantive and effective manner. The value lies not only in producing clean coffee beans but also in spreading the spirit of organic agriculture by accompanying farmers in production and sharing both risks and benefits.

The approach of Enjoi Coffee is opening a new direction for local agricultural economic development, linking production with environmental protection and moving toward the goal of green, sustainable, and value-driven agriculture," Mr. Yen said.

With his practical contributions to sustainable agricultural development, Le Van Hoang was honored with the Luong Dinh Cua Award, a prestigious national award for outstanding rural youth. He also received a commendation from the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee for his excellent achievements in the startup movement and the development of clean agricultural production, along with several titles such as "Outstanding Young Entrepreneur of the Central Highlands" and "Innovative Startup Youth" awarded by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Amid the windy highlands, Enjoi Coffee currently is more than a brand; it is a spirit of startup built on passion and belief. The journey from a small coffee bean to the great trust of farmers has been realized through dedication, hard work, and clean Vietnamese coffee reaching out to the world.

* $1 = VND 26,153 (Source: Vietcombank)