The Au Bon Pain bakery chain is to expand into Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) by the end of the year to serve the growing middle class in the region, according to an announcement by Mudman Plc, the authorized Thai franchisee of the Au Bon Pain bakery chain. The firm, which recently won the rights from the owner of Au Bon Pain in the US, ABP Corporation, said the development is intended to capitalize on increasing consumer purchasing power and the strong economies in the CLMV market. Nadim Xavier Salhani, chief executive of Mudman, said the company is considering forming a joint venture with local partners or investing on its own, with the investment model to be finalized by the end of the year. Hem Samnang, area manager of BreadTalk Cambodia, a franchise brand from Singapore, agreed that coffee and bakery chains have room to grow in Cambodia. He said consumer awareness of international brands has been getting better over the past decade, as people’s incomes have gone up. (Source: Khmer Times)