Maison Marou

Maison Marou is a Vietnamese gourmet and craft chocolate company established in 2011 by Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou. The brand developed around the use of cacao grown in Vietnam, especially beans sourced from provinces in the southern part of the country, and presents chocolate as a product connected to Vietnamese agriculture and regional origin. Its model combines cacao sourcing, chocolate production, retail, and café-style consumption rather than operating solely as a packaged confectionery label. The company is associated with the bean-to-bar movement, in which cacao beans are selected, processed, roasted, refined, and converted into chocolate under the producer's control. Maison Marou's range centers on chocolate bars, including products that identify Vietnamese growing regions or cacao origins, alongside chocolate-based drinks and other items sold through its retail locations. This origin-focused approach differentiates the brand from mass-market chocolate companies that generally rely on blended or less geographically specific cacao supplies. Maison Marou is headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City and has expanded its physical presence beyond the city. The company's shops have been reported in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Binh Duong. Its stores function as both points of sale and brand-experience spaces, allowing customers to buy packaged chocolate and consume drinks or desserts associated with the brand. The company opened its first store on Calmette Street in Ho Chi Minh City in 2016. The brand has received recognition in international chocolate competitions and at Salon du Chocolat, helping establish Maison Marou as one of the better-known Vietnamese names in premium chocolate. Its identity is built around local sourcing, single-origin or regional storytelling, craft production, and the presentation of Vietnam as a source of high-quality cacao. In 2021, Mekong Capital announced an investment in Maison Marou through Mekong Enterprise Fund IV. The investment provided institutional backing for the company's development, although the available reference material does not specify the transaction value, ownership percentage, or subsequent corporate structure.

Maison Marou was founded in Vietnam in 2011 by Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou. The founders built the company around craft chocolate production using cacao grown in Vietnam, an approach that gave the brand a clear point of distinction in a market where chocolate is often associated with imported products or international confectionery companies. Rather than presenting Vietnam only as a retail market, Maison Marou treated the country as a source of cacao and as the central subject of its product identity. The company sources cacao from six provinces in southern Vietnam, according to the referenced encyclopedia material. This regional sourcing strategy supports the use of origin-based product descriptions and allows the brand to connect chocolate flavor and product design with particular Vietnamese growing areas. Its production model is commonly described as bean-to-bar: cacao beans are transformed into finished chocolate through stages controlled by the producer. The resulting range includes chocolate bars and chocolate beverages, with the brand placing emphasis on local ingredients, craft methods, and premium presentation. Maison Marou's retail development became more visible in 2016, when it opened its first store on Calmette Street in Ho Chi Minh City. The store format expanded the company beyond packaged products and created spaces where customers could encounter the brand through chocolate drinks, desserts, and direct retail. Later reported locations included Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Binh Duong. The reference material describes a network of 20 shops, although it does not provide a dated store list or clarify whether that figure remains current. Recognition from the International Chocolate Awards and Salon du Chocolat contributed to Maison Marou's reputation in the premium chocolate sector. These forms of recognition reinforced the company's positioning as a specialist producer and helped associate Vietnamese cacao with the international craft-chocolate movement. In 2021, Mekong Capital announced an investment in Maison Marou through Mekong Enterprise Fund IV. This marked an important financing and ownership event in the company's development, bringing a private-equity investor into the business. The cited material does not state the investment amount, the precise ownership arrangement, or the operational changes that followed. No reliable information in the supplied references establishes a later acquisition, stock-market listing, founder departure, or change in brand status. Maison Marou is therefore documented here as an active Vietnamese craft chocolate brand with a retail presence in several Vietnamese cities, while its current corporate details remain incomplete.

• 2021

  Investment from Mekong Enterprise Fund IV

  [1]Maison Marouen.wikipedia.org

  Mekong Capital announces an investment in Maison Marou as part of Mekong Enterprise Fund IV.

• 2016

  First Maison Marou store opens

  [1]Maison Marouen.wikipedia.org

  The company opens its first store on Calmette Street in Ho Chi Minh City.

• 2011

  Maison Marou is founded

  [1]Maison Marouen.wikipedia.org

  Samuel Maruta and Vincent Mourou establish Maison Marou in Vietnam around a craft chocolate model using locally sourced cacao.

Premium Vietnamese craft chocolate emphasizing local cacao, regional origin, bean-to-bar production, and an experiential retail and café format.

• Chocolate

  Vietnamese-origin chocolate bars

  Maison Marou's core packaged products are chocolate bars made from cacao sourced in Vietnam. The range emphasizes the country's growing regions and the company's craft, bean-to-bar approach. Product-level details such as the complete flavor range, cocoa percentages, and current availability are not specified in the supplied references.

• Premium chocolate

  Single-origin and regional-origin chocolate

  The brand uses Vietnamese cacao from multiple southern provinces and highlights origin as part of its product storytelling. These products are positioned as premium chocolate for consumers interested in geographic provenance and differences between cacao-growing areas. The available references do not identify a definitive product catalog or individual launch dates.

• Café and beverages

  Chocolate drinks and café products

  Maison Marou stores also offer chocolate drinks and related café-style items. These products extend the brand from take-home confectionery into an in-store consumption experience and support the company's retail positioning. Specific recipes, menu names, and availability by location are not provided in the supplied sources.

• 2021

  Institutional investment through Mekong Enterprise Fund IVM&A

  Background

  Maison Marou sought or accepted institutional capital as it developed its craft chocolate and retail business.

  Action taken

  Mekong Capital announced an investment in Maison Marou through Mekong Enterprise Fund IV.

  Aftermath

  The investment added private-equity backing to the company, but the supplied references do not disclose the amount, ownership terms, or subsequent business impact.

  Source

• 2016

  Expansion into branded retail storesStrategy

  Background

  After operating as a craft chocolate producer, Maison Marou moved into a direct retail and café format.

  Action taken

  The company opened its first store on Calmette Street in Ho Chi Minh City.

  Aftermath

  The store model was followed by reported locations in several Vietnamese cities, although the timing and sequence of later openings are not documented in the supplied material.

  Source

1. 1Maison Marouen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Maison Marou official websitemaisonmarou.com