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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Squarestreet launches coffee concept in Sheung Wan

    Squarestreet launches coffee concept in Sheung Wan

    Scandinavian lifestyle accessories label Squarestreet is presenting a new in-store coffee concept centered around the tradition of “fika” at its Sheung Wan boutique.

    “Fika” is a Swedish verb that describes the act of meeting to drink coffee while enjoying traditional pastries in any home or workplace in Sweden. It is an integral part of Swedish coffee culture.

    The Kaffe venue offers classic Swedish homemade pastries paired with Swedish-roasted beans in a cosy and intimate environment. The shop also offers a selection of local, Swedish and in-house designed accessories and homewares. Its takeaway utensils are all compostable and its cup sleeves are decorated with the classic folk art called “Kurbits” from the Dalarna region in central Sweden.

    All pastries are made by a Swedish baker following traditional recipes, and the cafe’s beans are delivered weekly, three days after roasting, to keep the coffee as fresh as possible.

    “I wanted to offer a new type of cafe experience through Kaffe,” said Kaffe founder and curator Alexis Holm. “Having a ‘fika’ is something special, a moment with friends, a good book, or treating your grandma to her favourite pastry. Coffee is only the excuse, it’s what happens when people have coffee that matters.”

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  • Restaurant Brands posts lift in 2Q sales despite Starbucks exit

    Restaurant Brands posts lift in 2Q sales despite Starbucks exit

    Restaurant Brands posted a lift in quarterly sales largely due to the success of its 97 KFC stores in the country.

    The fast food retailer posted total sales of $259.7 million for the quarter to September 9, a 3.5 per cent increase from the previous corresponding period’s $8.8 million, despite its exit from Starbucks in October last year.

    Restaurant Brand’s New Zealand arm, which accounts for more than half of its revenue, posted a 1.5 per cent rise in operation sales to $134.8 million and a 5.4 per cent increase on a same store basis.

    Its operating divisions in Australia and Hawaii also showed strong same-store sales growth with sales increases of 5.8 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively.

    Local KFC outlets posted an 8.8 per cent lift in sales to $113.5 million, more than making up for the group’s exit from Starbucks, which contributed $7.3 million.

    Australian KFC outlets produced sales of $62.0 million, up 5.8 per cent on both a total basis and a same store basis. Hawaiian operations sales were $62.9 million, up 6.4 per cent on a total basis and 9.6 per cent on a same store basis.

    There was 5.9 per cent decline in second quarter sales for Restaurant Brands-owned Pizza Hut stores to $10.6 million from the same period last year. Same store sales for the quarter decreased by 4.3 per cent.

    Total Carl’s Jr. sales for the second quarter were $10.7 million, an increase of 8.3 per cent on the equivalent period last year following the introduction of delivery via the UberEats platform. Same store sales for the quarter were up by 8.2 per cent.

    Total Taco Bell sales were up $38.1 million on the back of several successful promotions, an 11.1 per cent increase.

    Pizza Hut Hawaii sales were flat, $24.7 million, compared to the prior year.

    The retailer’s year to date sales rose 2.7 per cent to $442.6 million compared to the previous corresponding period.

    Company store numbers were down by 20 on the equivalent period last year to 285, primarily from the sale of the 22 Starbucks Coffee stores.

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  • Starbucks Japan lets customers pay with a pen

    Starbucks Japan lets customers pay with a pen

    Starbucks Japan has launched a new pen-shaped digital wallet called “Starbucks Touch The Pen” allowing customers to buy their coffee without taking out their wallets.

    The pen’s design resembles a drip coffee machine and comes in three colours – black, silver, and white. The new cashless-payment device is run by NFC (near-field communications) technology through FeliCa chip and contains “coffee brown” gel ink, meaning it works as a digital wallet and has the same function as a normal pen.

    Starbucks’ Touch The Pen will cost ¥4000 (US$37) including ¥1000 preloaded credit when it is available to purchase online next week.

    Before The Pen, the cafe chain had three other digital payment models including The Drip (a key fob), The Cup (a phone case) and The Hug (a keyring handbag).

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  • Famed ramen chain Ichiran to pop up at Takashimaya

    Famed ramen chain Ichiran to pop up at Takashimaya

    Forget Japan – you can now slurp noodles from cult favorite Ichiran Ramen right here in Singapore.

    The famous brand is operating a pop-up store from Oct 3 to Oct 20 in Takashimaya’s Japan Food Matsuri, an event marketing Japanese food products.

    Like its Japanese outlets, the noodle chain’s pop up store will feature Ichiran’s signature individual booths – which is essentially a long table with collapsible dividers separating each diner.

    But if you’re expecting the full Ichiran experience, prepare to be disappointed – the noodles in the pop-up store will be made from the brand’s “New York Limited” instant packs.

    According to photos, each S$12 bowl will be topped with spicy seasoning, green onions, and sliced wood ear mushrooms.

    No other toppings are available – this includes boiled eggs, pork slices, smoked pork, vinegar and seaweed offered in full-fledged Ichiran stores.

    Only 700 bowls will be available per day, Takashimaya said.

    Instant noodle packs are also available at S$35 for a box of three servings – and only 200 packs will be sold a day.

    Apart from Ichiran, other ramen chains at the event include 175°DENO Ramen, Yoshiyama Shouten, Society of Ramen and Teppei Okinawa.

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  • Starbucks Singapore releases mobile program at selected stores

    Starbucks Singapore releases mobile program at selected stores

    Starbucks has launched its mobile order & pay (MO&P) service at 32 selected Singapore outlets ahead of a city-wide launch by March next year.

    MO&P allows customers to order in advance and pick up at their chosen Starbucks store. The new feature is also compatible with the company’s loyalty program through the Starbucks mobile app.

    “Innovation has always been a key ingredient of Starbucks’ culture and we are ready to take on the challenge of introducing new technologies and tools, like Mobile Order & Pay, to help make our customers’ experience at Starbucks even more enjoyable,” said Patrick Kwok, GM at Starbucks Singapore.

    “We are consistently on the lookout for new ways to enhance our retail offerings and experience for our local customers, meeting their needs and wants,” he added.

    Starbucks Singapore has marked this year as its “Year of Innovation” after the launch of its flagship store at Jewel Changi Airport. The company also plans to bring on board more partners to diversify its products.

    The Starbucks Singapore mobile application was launched in Singapore in 2012. With the mobile app, its customers can customise their drink, collect stars for their loyalty program and pay for in-store orders.

  • Domino’s expands solar program nation-wide

    Domino’s expands solar program nation-wide

    Pizza retailer Domino’s has announced a renewable energy strategy that will see it roll-out solar power systems and energy controllers across all Domino’s stores across Australia.

    The strategy is aiming to reduce Domino’s operational impact on the environment, while reducing energy costs, in partnership with Construction, Supply & Service.

    Domino’s Australia and New Zealand chief executive Nick Knight said the business initially started the strategy with only one store – Domino’s Aspley, Queensland, in 2017 – which has seen a 34 percent reduction in energy usage, and a 48 percent saving in electricity costs.

    “We are really excited that Domino’s Aspley is now sourcing power from renewable energy and are thrilled with the results,” Knight said.

    “We are looking to implement this strategy in more stores across our network, with Domino’s Ballina, Noarlunga, and Kelso already operating with solar power systems and energy demand controllers.”

    According to Knight, Domino’s already has 70 stores with energy demand controllers installed, which de-energizes non-essential equipment during peak power usage, and has an additional seven stores currently in the works.

    Domino’s is not alone in turning to solar energy in order to cut down on energy costs, with Coles recently announcing it is constructing three solar plants in regional New South Wales which will provide 10 percent of Coles’ national energy electricity needs.

    Likewise, Woolworths is implementing solar into the redevelopment of its Adelaide regional distribution center – with 3500 solar panels to provide around one-fifth of the center’s needs.

    Vicinity Centres has also announced it is investing $75 million into a large scale solar program, which will see 22 of its centers fitted with rooftop solar panels, and will cut the group’s consumption from the national energy grid by up to 40 percent.

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  • Osaka’s Micasadeco & Cafe opens outlet outside Japan

    Osaka’s Micasadeco & Cafe opens outlet outside Japan

    Japanese fluffy-pancake franchise Micasadeco & Cafe is launching its first flagship outside of Japan at Langham Place in Mong Kok.

    Opening on September 20 in an airy basement, Micasadeco & Cafe will be serving diners breakfast till dinner Monday through Sunday. Limited-edition tote bags will be presented to early diners in celebration of the Hong Kong opening.

    The new venture presents the brand’s signature Ricotta Cheese Pancake, which received the highest ranking of three stars at the Sarah Japan Menu Award last year, alongside an extensive menu mixing sweet and savoury items.

    For the sake of authenticity, four chefs stationed in Hong Kong were invited to to Micasadeco & Cafe’s original branch in Osaka to learn how to make perfect pancake towers and other delicacies.

  • Niska introduces robotic vendor through ice cream

    Niska introduces robotic vendor through ice cream

    Australian retail start-up Niska is bringing an interactive robotic experience to Melbourne with the launch of a game-changing ice cream store at Federation Square.

    Niska, Australia’s first-ever robotic retail store, offers Australian-made artisan ice-cream with a variety of flavors and toppings, all served by a team of robot staffers: Pepper, Eka, and Tony.

    The robots create a unique customer experience and “world-class service” by establishing meaningful interactions with each person.

    Visitors can even take selfies with Pepper, the social humanoid robot, and their ice cream, with photo spaces available within the store.

    With bricks-and-mortar retailers realizing the importance of creating unique and curated merchandise experiences, Niska is getting ahead of the curve with robotic retail.

    CEO and co-founder Kate Orlova said the company plans to revolutionize the retail space.

    “For us, ice-cream is just the beginning. We’re looking to expand the robotics into other areas of retail. The future is here and it is exciting! We look forward to changing the retail game and pioneering retail robotics,” she said.

    Minister for Jobs, Innovation, and Trade, Martin Pakula called it a “real feather in the cap for Victorian innovation”.

    “There is amazing work going on here in areas like robotics and artificial intelligence – and the ice-cream’s also pretty good,” he said.

    Niska is now open at Tenancy 20, Crossbar Building Federation Square.

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  • Krispy Kreme opening pop-up store in Christchurch, NZ

    Krispy Kreme opening pop-up store in Christchurch, NZ

    International retailer Krispy Kreme will open a pop-up store at Westfield Riccarton in Christchurch.

    The pop-up store, which will be open for two weeks starting September 28, will signal the start of Krispy Kreme’s nationwide roll out through an ongoing partnership with selected BP Connect sites, starting with 12 Christchurch locations from October 5.

    Antonio Rivera, New Zealand Retail manager, said they can’t wait to give everyone a taste of the authentic Krispy Kreme experience.

    “It’s long been our desire to bring smiles to as many Kiwis as possible by giving them the chance to enjoy a fresh Krispy Kreme doughnut,” Rivera said.

    “Whether you’re a big fan of the Original Glazed or prefer yours with a few more sprinkles, the pop- up store will ensure that Christchurch doughnut fans will be the first in the South Island to buy Krispy Kreme locally.”

    Adrian McClellan, BP general manager of retail and assets, said they are excited to make Krispy Kreme doughnuts available at more sites across the country.

    “Krispy Kreme is incredibly popular with our customers in the upper North Island, so I’m delighted to say that we can now extend that to customers at selected BP Connect sites across Christchurch, Wellington and the rest of the North Island.”

    Krispy Kreme’s first store in the country opened in Auckland in February 2018. Since then Krispy Kreme has opened further retail outlets in Chancery Square, Auckland and Auckland Airport’s Domestic Terminal.

  • Kyoto Ichinoden has opened a high-end Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong

    Kyoto Ichinoden has opened a high-end Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong

    The new venue, Tominokoji Yamagishi, is part of the 90-year-old firm’s expansion plan in the local dining industry. Located in the prime Ocean Centre in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, it provides 15 seats for booking and serves fine Kyoto cuisine.

    “Kyoto Ichinoden was founded in 1927,” noted Kyoto Ichinoden HK president Jumpei Tanaka. “Our first Kyoto Ichinoden restaurant in Hong Kong was opened in May this year and we have been successful. To sustain the growth momentum, we wanted to open an even more high-end Japanese restaurant in the city to promote high-quality Kyoto cuisine in Hong Kong. As we have a very close relationship with the founder and chef of Tominokoji Yamagishi, who actually was our head chef for more than 10 years, we decided to bring his brand to the city.

    “Hong Kong people have a strong passion for Japanese food and always look for high-quality food and dining experiences,” he added. “It gives us a good reason to bring a Michelin-starred restaurant brand here. The city is also very strong in terms of logistics and transportation, ensuring efficient supplies of high-quality ingredients for our restaurants.”

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  • Hattendo bakery to franchise stores in Hong Kong

    Hattendo bakery to franchise stores in Hong Kong

    Japanese baker Hattendo is planning to ramp up its store rollout in Asia, with particular focus on Greater China and Southeast Asia.

    The company – known for its cream-filled buns – already has stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. Its next stop is Malaysia where it will launch next month after finding a local partner to produce its buns, selling through convenience stores.

    Hattendo is currently finalizing a joint venture with a Thai company to manufacture its products to supply stores locally. The plan there is to supply supermarkets and a network of its own-branded kiosk stores in shopping malls and other locations.

    In Hong Kong and Mainland China, Hattendo will expand its network by appointing franchisees, part of a plan to boost its network six-fold to 30 by the end of 2021.

    “In China’s Shenzhen and Hong Kong, there is strong interest from potential franchisees and we receive a lot of inquiries,” Daisuke Ishioka, the company’s representative director, told Nikkei.

    Last year, Hattendo’s group sales reached US$19.6 million. The company is planning to issue new shares by the end of this year to raise about $900,000 to fund the expansion.

    The company – known for its cream-filled buns – already has stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. Its next stop is Malaysia where it will launch next month after finding a local partner to produce its buns, selling through convenience stores.

    Hattendo is currently finalizing a joint venture with a Thai company to manufacture its products to supply stores locally. The plan there is to supply supermarkets and a network of its own-branded kiosk stores in shopping malls and other locations.

    In Hong Kong and Mainland China, Hattendo will expand its network by appointing franchisees, part of a plan to boost its network six-fold to 30 by the end of 2021.

    “In China’s Shenzhen and Hong Kong, there is strong interest from potential franchisees and we receive a lot of inquiries,” Daisuke Ishioka, the company’s representative director, told Nikkei.

    Last year, Hattendo’s group sales reached US$19.6 million. The company is planning to issue new shares by the end of this year to raise about $900,000 to fund the expansion.

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  • The Coffee Club opens first store in Vietnam

    The Coffee Club opens first store in Vietnam

    The first The Coffee Club Vietnam store has opened, marking the Australian-founded chain’s 10th international market.

    Minor International subsidiary Minor Food signed up Vietnam Investment Group (VI Group) as its local partner in The Coffee Club Vietnam last October.

    Paul Kenny, CEO of Minor Food said the chain will provide a coffeehouse-style experience with an all-day menu following the Australian format. Together with Western dishes, the Vietnam store’s menu also includes Asian cuisine.

    “The Coffee Club offers a distinctive restaurant experience with great selections of food and beverages menus, excellent coffee and a welcoming relaxed atmosphere enriching the contemporary lifestyles of the Vietnamese consumers,” said David Do, VI Group MD.

    Since opening its doors in Brisbane in 1989, The Coffee Club has become Australia’s largest home-grown cafe group serving approximately 40 million customers in more than 400 stores.

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  • London superfood restaurant Avobar makes start in Hong Kong

    London superfood restaurant Avobar makes start in Hong Kong

    London avocado-themed restaurant Avobar has opened its first overseas outpost in Hong Kong, one of a raft of new dining concepts at K11 Musea.

    Avobar considers itself a “superfood restaurant” offering a range of meals such as avocado salads, burgers and risotto during the day along with cocktails and desserts such as a chocolate avocado brownie.

    Besides food, Avobar sells a range of avocado-based lifestyle products, including avocado-inspired t-shirts and tote bags.

    Avobar champions the health benefits of avocados which it says contain about 20 vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

    “Avocados, which are at the heart and soul of the restaurant, are a symbol for positivity, health, uniqueness and fun,” the company explains in a statement.

    “Avobar’s offerings are perfect for contemporary health-conscious consumers who may also live a gluten-free or vegan-friendly lifestyle.”

    The avocadoes served at the new restaurant are ethically and sustainably sourced from growers all over the world.

    The dining space offers 60 seats in an industrial decorative setting. Designed with a relaxed feel, its own branding concept ‘botany meets urbanity’ shows through in a warm interior enhanced with eclectic furnishings. The main dining area features a bamboo-like wall, neutral wooden benches and stools and a bar countertop made with patterned concrete. Monochromatic geometric patterns on the floor complement coral-coloured leave decorations and industrial spotlights.

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  • McDonald’s to buy AI voice-technology company Apprente

    McDonald’s to buy AI voice-technology company Apprente

    Fast-food restaurant giant McDonald’s is underscoring its increasing focus on technology by acquiring AI voice-technology company Apprente.

    The company says the investment will expand its presence in the Bay Area technology sector and allow the company to integrate new teams with advanced technology skillsets into its business.

    Apprente is described as an “early-stage leader” in voice-based conversational technology.

    “The agreement marks another bold step in advancing employee and customer-facing innovations while further strengthening McDonald’s technology capabilities,” the company said in a statement.

    The Apprente team will be the founding member of a new, integrated, internal group within McDonald’s Global Technology team called McD Tech Labs. McDonald’s says it expects to grow its presence in Silicon Valley with the hiring of additional engineers, data scientists and other advanced technology experts to join McD Tech Labs to meet future business needs and support deployment.

    Before signing the deal, McDonald’s extensively trialled Apprente’s solutions in test restaurants, along with evaluating products from other companies in the voice-technology space.

    Apprente was founded in 2017 in Mountain View, California, to create voice-based platforms for complex, multilingual, multi-accent and multi-item conversational ordering.

    “In McDonald’s restaurants, this technology is expected to allow for faster, simpler and more accurate order taking at the Drive Thru with future potential to incorporate into mobile ordering and kiosks,” the company said.

    “Building our technology infrastructure and digital capabilities are fundamental to our Velocity Growth Plan and enable us to meet rising expectations from our customers, while making it simpler and even more enjoyable for crew members to serve guests,” said Steve Easterbrook, president and CEO at McDonald’s Corporation.

    “Apprente’s gifted team, and the technology they have developed, will form McD Tech Labs, a new group integrated in our global technology team that will take our culture of innovation one step further.”

    Dr Itamar Arel, co-founder of Apprente and VP of McD Tech Labs, said it was quite clear from various engagements that McDonald’s is leading the industry with technology.

    “Apprente was borne out of an opportunity to use technology to solve challenging real-world problems and we’re thrilled to now apply this to creating personalised experiences for customers and crew.”

    Previously, McDonald’s acquired Dynamic Yield, a leader in personalisation and decision-logic technology, which is now deployed in more than 8000 US restaurants and will be integrated into nearly all drive-thru restaurants in the US and Australia by the end of this year. McDonald’s will use the decision technology to provide a more personalised customer experience by varying outdoor digital Drive Thru menu displays to show food based on time of day, weather, current restaurant traffic and trending menu items. The decision technology can also instantly suggest and display additional items to a customer’s order based on their current selections.

    Earlier this year, McDonald’s also invested in Plexure, a mobile app vendor, to further advance the development of McDonald’s Global Mobile App.

  • Thailand’s MK Group buys into seafood restaurant chain

    Thailand’s MK Group buys into seafood restaurant chain

    Thailand’s MK Restaurant Group will purchase a 65 per cent shareholding in the Lam Charoen Seafood chain.

    The 40-year-old restaurant brand, which has 26 branches across Thailand, will sell for THB2.06 billion (US$67.13 million), according to an announcement posted to the Thai stock exchange last Friday.

    The acquisition, which will most likely close by December, will take place via MK Restaurant Group subsidiary Catapult, funded by working capital.

    MK Restaurant Group currently operates more than 400 locations under several brand names including MK, Yayoi, Miyazaki, Hakata, Bizzy Box, Le Petit and MK Harvest.

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