Tag: fries

  • Burger King Taiwan gives away 10,000 burgers to McDonald’s, KFC customers

    Burger King Taiwan gives away 10,000 burgers to McDonald’s, KFC customers

    Burger King Taiwan is holding a marketing campaign offering 10,000 free burgers to customers of rivals McDonald’s and KFC.

    Consumers are being invited to swap a same-day receipt for a set meal at either franchise to receive a free Burger King burger.

    Burger King Taiwan, which has traded for 29 years, has lagged behind rival brands in market-share terms and has attempted a comeback over the past several years by shuttering 20 stores and replacing its management team. The brand was taken over by Asian private equity fund Nexus Point in late 2017.

    The brand has since expanded and expanded its reach via local food delivery platforms Foodpanda, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo among others.

    The campaign will run through to December 10.

  • Shake Shack to double down in Singapore, Philippines

    Shake Shack to double down in Singapore, Philippines

    Fast-food chain Shake Shack has announced new outlets in Singapore and Manila after enjoying early success with its debut stores in the two Southeast Asian cities.

    In Singapore, the US fast-food chain is bringing what it describes as its “design-driven restaurant” concept to Singapore’s CBD next year after its successful debut at Jewel Changi shopping center.

    Located in a historic building at 89 Neil Road, the restaurant will work closely with local artists and suppliers and will promote its mission to ‘Stand For Something Good’. Without, a hoarding will bear the artwork of Singaporean artist Sam Lo who blends Shake Shack’s icons with traditional Peranakan cultural patterns.

    Meanwhile, in Manila, the company will open a new outlet at SM Megamall next week seven months after its debut in the Philippines.

    Besides its menu items such as ShackBurger, Shack-cago Dog, crinkle-cut fries, beer, wine, and frozen custard ice cream, the Philippine outlets offer exclusive items including Ube shake and Calamansi Limeade.

    Launched in 2004 in a food truck, Shake Shack has expanded to more than 250 locations in the US and more than 85 international locations including London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Philippines, Mexico, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, Moscow, and Seoul.

    The next year will see Shake Shack expand further both domestically and internationally. Global revenues grew by nearly 32 percent in the third quarter, the company reported.

  • Jollibee Expedites North American expansion

    Jollibee Expedites North American expansion

    Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee plans to expand its store network in North America to 250 by 2023.

    Its parent company Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) said it is committing to further expand the brand in North America, having identified the region as a key growth market.

    There are currently 46 Jollibee outlets in North America, with the first store opened in 1998 in California.

    The expansion plan was announced at the inauguration of its new North American headquarters in West Covina, California on Friday. It says the new 28,000sqft headquarters will serve as a center of operations for Jollibee and its sister brands Chowking and Red Ribbon.

    “The new Jollibee headquarters will ably support operations around North America in its quest to become a major fast-food player in the region,” says the company.

    Jollibee has a restaurant network of more than 1400 at home and more than 230 elsewhere abroad.

    Parent company JFC has more than 5800 restaurants in 35 countries globally, with recent investments including a joint venture to open Tim Wan Ho restaurants in China.

  • KFC expands delivery offer with Menulog

    KFC expands delivery offer with Menulog

    QSR chain KFC has extended its partnership with Menulog for three more years after seeing a strong response to its offer on the food delivery platform over the past 12 months.

    The agreement will see the chicken chain offering delivery in more suburban and regional areas as it brings more restaurants onto the platform. More than 360 KFC restaurants currently offer delivery through Menulog, and that figure is set to rise by almost 10 per cent by the end of this year. KFC also offers delivery through rival platform Deliveroo.

    Competition in Australia’s food delivery space is intense, and the key players – Menulog, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, the market leader – all see restaurant chains with national footprints and sizeable marketing budgets, such as KFC, McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s, as an important path to expansion.

    Since US delivery giant DoorDash entered the local market in September, the race to strike deals with QSR brands has only heated up. DoorDash recently offered free Oporto burgers as part of a promotion to mark its launch into Sydney. And Menulog’s managing director Ben Carter said the platform will continue to take advantage of co-marketing opportunities with KFC.

    “Kentucky Fried Chicken is a favourite with our customers and so there is a very compelling co-marketing opportunity that we will continue to take advantage of over the next three years,” Carter said in a statement.

    “Customers can expect to see some very exciting, creative and truly integrated work that will add value and enjoyment to the KFC and Menulog delivery experience.”

    Menulog recently announced it had signed its 16,000th restaurant in Australia. The platform is owned by UK-based company Just Eat, which is in the middle of a merger with the Dutch Takeaway.com.

  • Shake Shack Singapore planning a second Restaurant

    Shake Shack Singapore planning a second Restaurant

    Shake Shack Singapore is considering opening a new outlet in the territory following better-than-expected business at its Jewel Changi Airport location.

    The brand’s culinary director Mark Rosati said in an interview with Channel News Asia that long queues to the existing location have persisted several months into trading, underscoring Shake Shack’s popularity with Singaporeans.

    The brand has expanded from a roadside burger stand to operate in more than 12 countries, based on a consistent menu along with exclusive items designed for local tastes.

    “We keep looking at each outlet as, ‘This is the only Shake Shack in the world’,” said Rosati. “So, when we opened Singapore, we weren’t thinking to ourselves that we needed to open the one that’s going to be the blueprint for opening a few more – in terms of look and taste – in this region.

    “We knew we needed to go to Singapore, spend time on the street figuring out what the food was like, how it makes it super special and how we fit into that. We knew that we needed to do something that is definitely part of our New York heritage but also what we do that’s a little different for Singapore.”

    The brand has yet to settle on a location for the second outlet.

  • Burger King APAC opens 3,000th restaurant

    Burger King APAC opens 3,000th restaurant

    The Burger King Asia-Pacific network has reached a milestone, the 3000th restaurant which just opened in Shanghai.

    The new restaurant in China is a joint venture owned by Burger King, TFI TAB Food Investments and Cartesian Capital.

    “We have served the Asia-Pacific market for more than 40 years, and have grown rapidly in the region recently, doubling our restaurant count in just the past five years,” said Sami Siddiqui, president at Burger King Asia-Pacific. “We look forward to many more openings to come as we grow the brand in our fastest-growing region of the world.”

    Burger King has opened more than 1500 restaurants in the region within the last five years, helped by strong franchisee partnerships in major markets, including China, India and South Korea.

  • Habit Burger Grill Opens in Korea

    Habit Burger Grill Opens in Korea

    America’s Habit Burger Grill is eyeing South Korea expansion in partnership with consulting firm Bridging Culture Worldwide.

    “South Korea, with its savvy consumers, open-minded culture and interest in global brands is an ideal marketplace for The Habit Burger Grill’s expansion,” said John Phillips, chief global business partnership officer at the company.

    He said Habit Burger Grill wants to attract multi-unit franchise partners and ensure mutual success for both parties.

    With the partnership, Bridging Culture Worldwide will support The Habit Burger chain with its international expansion plans in Asia-Pacific region.

    Founder and CEO of Bridging Culture Worldwide, Don Southerton, said: “South Korea has embraced premium western brands and The Habit Burger Grill delivers exactly what consumers are seeking – great food and excellent service. With its distinctive fresh-off-the-grill Charburger and hand-crafted sandwiches, fresh salads and other menu items, we know South Koreans will appreciate all that The Habit Burger Grill has to offer,”.

    Bridging Culture Worldwide is a business consultancy providing strategic planning and market entry service to Korea-based global businesses as well as support for western firms entering Korea.

  • Fat Brands opens five Restaurants in Pakistan

    Fat Brands opens five Restaurants in Pakistan

    Fast-food franchise owner Fat Brands has developed five co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express concepts in Pakistan.

    In partnership with local operator Crescent Star Foods, the co-branded restaurants will increase the brand’s presence in Pakistan to six restaurants.

    “Our partners and friends at Crescent Star Foods not only know the business, but they know and care about the people of Pakistan,” said Fat Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with them to bring our delicious, homemade burgers and wings to Pakistan residents and visitors.”

    Fat Brands strategically acquires, markets and develops fast casual and casual dining restaurant concepts around the world. The company currently owns eight restaurant brands and franchises more than 400 units worldwide.

  • Smashburger weighs down Jollibee results

    Smashburger weighs down Jollibee results

    Jollibee’s Smashburger and Red Ribbon business units significantly dragged down the restaurant operator’s first-half profits.

    Jollibee Foods Corporation says the company’s net income attributable to shareholders was P1.1 billion (US$21.1 million) in the second quarter – half that of the preceding three months. First-half profit was down 34 percent on the same period last year.

    The company blamed the decline on losses relating to the Smashburger chain and lower sales by its Red Ribbon bakery business.

    “On Smashburger, we introduced major changes that created short-term disruption in sales and profit but will drive sustainable sales growth and strengthen the brand health,” said Jollibee CFO Ysmael Baysa.

    While Smashburger, a relatively recent acquisition for the company, was not yet performing, Baysa says Jollibee has considerable experience restructuring businesses it buys into more profitable operations, namely Yonghe King and Hong Zhuang Yuan in China, and the Highlands Coffee business in Vietnam.

    The poor performance of Red Ribbon during the quarter was attributed to a shortage of supplies relating to the transfer of the company’s commissary kitchen to new premises south of Metro Manila.

    Last month, Jollibee announced the purchase of California cafe chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for US$350 million. It expects that business to contribute to Jollibee’s bottom line within 12 to 18 months.

    Global sales by Jollibee rose 13.8 percent in the first half, to P113.8 billion (US$2.11 billion) . Most of that growth came from its international operations, which grew by 24.9 percent, far faster than the 13.8 percent of its domestic business.

    Between January and June, the company opened 170 stores, 111 of those in its home market.

  • Habit Burger Opening in Cambodia

    Habit Burger Opening in Cambodia

    The Habit Restaurants is set to expand its Habit Burger Grill franchise throughout Cambodia in partnership with Amory F&B in a 25-store development agreement.

    The first outlet is expected to open in Phnom Penh in spring next year.

    “We quickly developed a passion for The Habit Burger business when we saw how much focus there is on great customer service,” said Kampuchea Tela Company CEO Okhna Chhun On. “This is something we strongly believe in, and we are excited to bring the Habit experience and great food to the people of Cambodia.”

    “The Habit’s excellent brand, best-in-class systems, and experience will help us to go the extra distance to become national leaders in the burger segment,” said Amory F&B Company CEO Chhun Sophearoth. “As an organization, we keep developing and investing in our people, much like The Habit Burger, and this will be an important part of our success.”

    “We are thrilled to continue to expand our brand internationally and to see Amory F&B Company bring our unique style of hand-crafted-to-order food, chargrilled burgers and high-quality customer service to the people of Cambodia,” said The Habit Restaurants president and CEO Russ Bendel.

    “Amory is comprised of a team of experienced, committed operators who share our dedication to customer satisfaction and enthusiasm for The Habit brand.”

  • Everstone to sell Burger King India franchise

    Everstone to sell Burger King India franchise

    Singapore-based private equity firm Everstone plans to sell its Burger King India franchise.

    The firm is reportedly in advanced discussions with Rahul Bhatia-controlled InterGlobe group to sell the franchise a deal worth US$204 million.

    The fast-food chain operates 140 outlets, spread across cities in north, west and south India. Last year, its sales reached $54 million.

    Everstone has managed Burger King India since 2013, along with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Copper Chimney, Bombay Blue and Noodle Bar in India.

    The discussions between the two parties come at a time when Bhatia is in dispute with Rakesh Gangwal over their flagship airline IndiGo.

  • Five Guys confirms Singapore Restaurant Opening

    Five Guys confirms Singapore Restaurant Opening

    American burger chain Five Guys is set to open in Singapore within six months.

    Local franchisee Zouk Group says the first outlet will open somewhere “central”.

    “There will definitely be more than one outlet here, depending on how many the market can sustain,” Andrew Li, Zouk Group CEO said.

    Five Guys is known for its customisable beef burgers, hotdogs, milkshakes and sandwiches.  Singapore outlets have the same menu as the US and Hong Kong.

    Prices have yet to be confirmed, but the outlet will serve alcohol including craft beer.

    Founded in Virginia in 1986, the brand now has more than 1600 restaurants worldwide across the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

  • Taco Bell India eyes 600 store Openings

    Taco Bell India eyes 600 store Openings

    Taco Bell India plans to expand to more than 600 stores before sub-licensing to local operators.

    The US-headquartered QSR chain has appointed its existing local partner since 2015 Burman Hospitality,  as master franchise holder for the country.

    Following nine years in the territory, the brand now seeks to open 600 locations in India within 10 years, a target that if achieved will make India Taco’s largest foreign market, reflecting the popularity of its menu in the region extending beyond its parent company’s core offerings of its sister brands’ chicken, burgers and pizzas.

    The appointment makes Burman the largest Taco Bell franchise globally in terms of store count. “If you look at chicken and pizza, they are two very familiar categories to the consumer and that helped both KFC and Pizza Hut with their explosive growth, not only in India, but all over the world,” said Taco Bell International president Liz Williams. “The Mexican category is a relatively new category for consumers and I think the Indian consumer has shown us they are ready for it.”

    Research conducted last year showed that the vast majority of food ordered in the Indian territory is North Indian, followed by Chinese and South Indian. The market for other cuisines is shown to be expanding.

    Burman is currently seeking to keep tight control over store launches before seeking sub-franchisees and then expanding into new formats such as food court kiosks.

  • McDonald’s ends food fight in India

    McDonald’s ends food fight in India

    International fast food chain McDonald’s has bought out its former partner Vikram Bakshi’s 50 percent stake in its Indian operations, ending a six-year dispute.

    The disagreement arose when McDonald’s India attempted to oust Bakshi as MD of local operator CPRL in 2013, a decision that was overturned after local arbitration hearings ruled in favor of his reinstatement.

    “With the transfer of ownership and management today, Mr. and Mrs. Bakshi end their association with CPRL and McDonald’s,” the company said in a statement. “McDonald’s acknowledges the significant work and contribution of Mr. Bakshi in establishing McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.”

    Bakshi was responsible for opening the first McDonald’s in the territory in the mid-90s, growing the franchise to more than 160 outlets in northern and eastern India.

    McDonald’s now wholly owns CPRL, which will be headed by Robert Hunghanfoo going forward. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

    The firm is now seeking a new development licensee for the region.

  • American burger chain Five Guys to open Restaurants in Singapore

    American burger chain Five Guys to open Restaurants in Singapore

    American burger chain Five Guys is to open in Singapore later this year.

    According to an unidentified F&B industry source, the chain also plans to open in Malaysia.

    The Singapore branch will be Five Guys’ second outlet in Asia, following the one which opened in Hong Kong last November.

    Founded in 1986, Five Guys runs more than 1500 outlets in America, Europe, and the Middle East. It also plans to expand into the UK.