Dean and Deluca preps its biggest store in the world at Mahanakhon

By Cole Pennington

Mar 18, 2014 | 2:56pm Bangkok time

COCONUTS HOTSPOT — Dean and Deluca may be synonymous with New York, but in the rapidly growing Eastern market it’s Bangkok that plays host to their largest flagship store. Located in the new Mahanakhon Cube complex, this Dean & Deluca raises the bar in the niche segment of the boutique market cum restaurant.

The upscale cafe has solidified its share of wealthy office workers with its trendy locations in Ploen Chit and Sathorn, making a name for itself by offering coffee, high-quality sandwiches and ready-to-eat meals in addition to a selection of condiments and branded apparel. The new Mahanakorn location gets back to the brand’s roots by offering the full-service experience.

The venue is enormous. When it’s completed it will be the largest Dean & Deluca in the world. Currently only the market is open, but in the near future the brand plans to open its first full-service restaurant with a planned 70 seats.

For now there’s still plenty of food to sample, like the New York-style pizza (THB95/slice). The Egyptian pizza master has nailed the New York style, and it’s loaded with quality ingredients, justifying the price. For more Italian fare head to the prepared foods counter where pasta from APPIA lies behind the glass. In case patrons have want to let loose, Dean & Deluca employs an interesting model where shoppers can grab any of the beverages off the shelves and consume them at retail prices with their meal. Most of the craft brews have made their way onto the shelves, so this means you can now enjoy your Stilton cheese with a Brewdog Punk IPA or cheesy pizza with Rogue Dead Guy Ale at retail prices in a fun environment with no service charge.

Much attention has been paid to local suppliers, with Dean & Deluca even helping some local suppliers get proper licensing. Breads from Urban Pantry can be found here, along with cakes from Ming and of course pastas from APPIA. Expect to see more products from local suppliers fill the shelf space as the market grows.

Another first for this segment is the advent of bulk candy. Now you can fill up a bag of exactly what you want, weight it, pay, and enjoy it on the premises. In addition there’s an expanded selection of packaged chocolate, candy, fruit and nuts.

What Dean & Deluca has managed to do is combine all the posh experiences in the food world together under one roof. Browse through their selection of 84 cheeses, eat a genuine slice of NY pizza at the prepared foods counter or bring a date to the full service restaurant on site.