BreadTalk Group has signed a franchise agreement with the parent of the Din Tai Fung brand of restaurants to take the Taiwanese concept into the UK.
BreadTalk Group says the deal with Fairy Rise Development, the owner of Din Tai Fung, will see the first restaurant opened in London next year, followed by outlets in England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. They will be run by a joint venture company TFUK, comprising BreadTalk subsidiary Together Inc as majority shareholder, Din Tai Fung Taiwan, Fairy Rise, a UK partner and Taiwanese investors.
Cheng William, divisional CEO (restaurant) of BreadTalk Group says the deal will see the concept enter Europe for the first time.
“With our experience in operating the brand for the last 13 years in both Singapore and Thailand, we hope to bring the much loved Din Tai Fung to new consumers who will appreciate this authentic Taiwanese cuisine,” he said.
Din Tai Fung’s owner, Chi-Hwa Yang, says the international recognition Din Tai Fung enjoys today “is in no small part attributable to our long-standing partnership with the BreadTalk Group. BreadTalk Group has played an integral role in our success by growing and exposing our Taiwanese brand to an international audience.”
BreadTalk Group operates 21 Din Tai Fung restaurants in Singapore and three restaurants in Thailand with more planned.
Globally, Din Tai Fung’s stores have won multiple awards, including a Michelin star in Hong Kong, and are favoured by celebrities and food critics alike with a total of 135 restaurants in 13 territories.
BreadTalk Group won the franchise rights to operate Din Tai Fung in Singapore and Thailand, in 2003 and 2011 respectively. The Taiwanese brand also has branches in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, the UAE and the US.
BreadTalk Group has nearly 1000 stores spread across 17 markets, its brand portfolio comprises BreadTalk, Toast Box, Food Republic, Din Tai Fung, Thye Moh Chan, Bread Society, The Icing Room and RamenPlay.
BreadTalk Group has a network of owned bakery outlets in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand, as well as franchised bakery outlets across Asia and the Middle East. It also owns the Food Republic food atria in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
