One such place, Hock Hoe Lee is a laid back and cosy café, originally founded in Phuket Town in 1958 by a Cheng Long, a Chinese immigrant who would later take the Thai surname, Tanpacharapisuit. Now with a new branch in Rawai, the shop has succeeded in ways the owner would have never thought possible.
The business is now run by the third generation of the family, and now focuses purely on coffee. The Phuket News headed over to the café to find out more from shop manager Ruengrit “Oh” Petchvorakul, who is married to Jutamas “Jaea” Tanpacharapisuit, the granddaughter of Cheng Long.
The café started serving cold brew coffee, and to their surprise, lots of locals, expats and tourists were already aware of this type of coffee. This kind of brewing is indeed very popular in the West, Japan, South Korea and Bangkok.
Oh, originally from Bangkok, explained, “We didn’t want to be just another coffee shop, there are so many ... In our long coffee business history in Phuket, we began our 1st wave in 1960, and by 2011 (2nd wave), we began serving espresso and frappuccino.
“Now, we firmly believe we are in the 3rd wave where coffee is treated as artisanal foodstuff rather than a commodity. Coffee is to be appreciated, not just enjoyed.
“Our mission is to make our brand genuinely represent locals, and as a sustainable, adaptive and creative business. It might take some time for the customers to get used to all the different options on the menu.”
Indeed, while the coffee is tasty, the café has also introduced cold-pressed juice: 100 per cent raw, no artificial colour, no sweetener, and no preservatives, a health phenomena many youth of today are yearning towards.
“Many of our customers buy coffee along with juice. It became so popular that we created another brand, and its tag line is ‘Phuket Living Juice’ due to the fact that it uses a slow squeeze process to extract the juice out.
“More and more people are concerned about their health. We feel that this product is the answer to that question. Initially, we didn’t think that these would be so successful, especially with the locals. But to our surprise, they do actually buy them.
“As well as this, we are also excited about the next step we will be taking, which is is the ‘Green Bean Coffee Extract’. It helps burn fat, manage blood pressure, and acts as an antioxidant. The green bean broth can be mixed to make coffee or act as a refresher. This is something people can look forward to in the high season!”
It seems that Hock Hoe Lee’s original coffee and selection of health orientated juices are fast growing among the people of Phuket. And with such a unique history behind the coffee bean, it’s no wonder the locals and expat community are going back for more.
Hock Hoe Lee is located at 28/9 Moo 5, Viset Road, Rawai. 076 381 975. Visit hockhoelee.com, facebook.com/HockHoeLee for more information.