Retail News CRM

Tag: Restaurant

  • Deliveroo Unveils New Tools to Help Restaurants Grow

    Deliveroo Unveils New Tools to Help Restaurants Grow

    Deliveroo today announced the Hong Kong launch of two new tools for its restaurant partners – Restaurant Home, an online portal which will provide data and insights on how restaurants’ delivery services perform, and Marketer, a key part of Restaurant Home, which will enable restaurants to upload and tailor promotions.

    Restaurants that partner with Deliveroo on average see their revenue increase by up to 30% and the company anticipates that the newly launched tools will see these figures increase even further.

    Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “Innovation is in our blood and we are always on the lookout for new ways to support our riders, our partner restaurants, and the hungry people who depend on Deliveroo for a great meal delivered fast. The new tools now available in the Deliveroo arsenal will help our restaurant partners to improve their offerings and drive new efficiencies and profits, in turn benefitting our riders and end customers.”

    Restaurant Home

    Through Restaurant Home, Deliveroo will offer the following data insights:

    Delivered orders, to increase delivered orders

    • Shows the total number of delivered orders and the percentage change over a time period

    Prep time, to speed up delivery times

    • Shows the average time between order acceptance and rider pickup
    • Shows the percentage change in prep time over a time period as well as competitors’ average prep time in a local area

    Order ratings, to improve overall service

    • Shows a line graph of the average customer order rating per day over a time period, as well as how this compares to competitors in a local area

    Nick Lo, owner of Hong Kong restaurant So Far So Good (蘇花餐室), said, “Restaurant Home is another example of Deliveroo’s constant innovation. I’m excited to engage with this tool more, using the data analytics and insights provided to optimise my menu and my business.”

    Marketer

    Part of Restaurant Home, this function allows restaurants to set up their own marketing offers to consumers on the Deliveroo app. Restaurants are asking for more control of their businesses and Deliveroo has listened to this, offering insights gleaned from Restaurant Home to help restaurants tailor different promotions to customers.

    Ms Thi Hang, owner of Bun Cha Vietnamese, said, “The new Restaurant Home tool from Deliveroo gives me real time updates on key business metrics – I’m always logged in. I’m now also able to put up my own discounts, so I have more control over my ability to attract new customers and my visibility on the app.”

    Wider support to restaurants

    Restaurant Home and Marketer are the latest in a long line of measures Deliveroo offers restaurants to support their businesses. Working with 3,500 restaurants in Hong Kong via a team of more than 2,000 riders, Deliveroo is now serving delicious and convenient meals to people in 16 out of 18 of the city’s districts. In the past 6 months, Deliveroo has a 20% growth in riders and an 18% growth in the business as a whole.

    • Deliveroo helps restaurants create ‘Virtual Brands’ to diversify their offerings. Creating virtual restaurants allows existing restaurants to increase revenue by offering new or complementary cuisines from their current kitchen, but under new branding. A virtual brand appears as a separate restaurant with a new identity on Deliveroo.
    • Deliveroo offers ‘Editions’ delivery-only kitchens. Restaurants are able to expand without needing a physical presence in the area, enabling them to reach new customers. Deliveroo provides unique data and insights that allow them to tailor concepts and menu items to the area’s needs and preferences, leading to increases in sales of up to 400% in some cases.
    • Deliveroo stays on top of the trends so that restaurants understand where consumer demands are and where they’re headed next. For example, Deliveroo recently found that the most popular cuisine categories in Hong Kong are local Hong Kong food, Shanghainese, Vietnamese and Italian.
    • Wider support: Deliveroo is available to support restaurants with insights and direction on marketing and social media; menu design; photography; tailored customer acquisition and retention strategies.
    • Partnership opportunities, for example Deliveroo for Business offers a hotel room service so that hospitality groups can provide even more comfort and convenience to their guests.
  • Philippine’s La Lola to open in Singapore

    Philippine’s La Lola to open in Singapore

    La Lola Churreria will soon open its first store in Singapore at Clarke Quay Central. The Brazilian-inspired food-retailing concept is being brought to the city by MFT Group of the Philippines, in partnership with Bistronomia which opened the first La Lola store in the upmarket Manila Power Plant Mall at Rockwell.

    The Clarke Quay site was chosen for its close proximity to the MRT and bus stations.

    MFT Group chief marketing officer Chiqui Tan said the company chose Singapore because of locals’ dessert-driven palette and openness to new concepts.

    A former employee of the Philippines’ SM group, Tan says she has been watching La Lola with interest for several years.
    “We’ve been fans of the brand ever since they started. We thought it was genius that something so simple can be done so well. I saw the speed and the scale they grew the brand,” she said in an interview.

    “La Lola churros are so global in flavour that [the concept] can be taken anywhere and will have a strong chance of succeeding,” she said.

    The two companies are planning multiple outlets across Singapore and MFT Group is also actively looking for more food concepts to launch.

    The MFT Group, a private equity investor, has already successfully taken Singaporean chain Salad Stop to Spain. And it plans to open branches of that brand in Vietnam soon.

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  • Jollibee’s 250th store opened in North America

    Jollibee’s 250th store opened in North America

    Philippines fast food operator Jollibee is planning to hit 150 locations in the US within five years, up from its current 37. The company’s CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said: “The fried chicken market in the US is quite huge. This is just the first leg of our journey, to be one of the major players in the fried chicken market.”

    The company has also announced plans to open 100 additional stores in Canada, part of its strategy to become on of the world’s top five quick-service restaurants.

    Jollibee operates 4300 stores in 20 countries, and has a portfolio of 14 brands.

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  • Full service eateries threaten fast food in Vietnam

    Full service eateries threaten fast food in Vietnam

    A survey has found full service restaurants outshining the quick service segment in Vietnam since 2017’s third quarter. Full service restaurants (FSR) or sit down eateries where food is served directly to the customers’ table, have been far better patronized than quick service restaurants (QSR), where table service is minimal and the typical fare is fast food.

    In fact, the QSR segment has been dropping quarter after quarter, according to a report released this week by the HCMC-based market research firm Decision Lab.

    It found that the growth of full service restaurants has been fueled mostly by women, and consumers above 35 years of age.

    The FSRs and QSR are the two most important channels for manufacturers of various product categories, with the other five channels being street food, bars, convenience stores, hotels, and canteens.

    Together, they currently account for the majority of out-of-home visits by consumers across all demographic groups in Vietnam.

    The falling of QSR

    Quick service outlets have been suffering from declining visits from all consumer groups, male and female of all ages from 15 upwards in all the three major cities, the report said.

    Among various types of quick service outlets, cafes, bakeries and juice, smoothie shops are those that have witnessed the biggest drop in visits, by 29 percent, 22 percent and 30 percent respectively.

    They have switched to other channels to consume these daily products likes street food, full service restaurants and convenience stores.

    But this does not mean Vietnamese are cutting down on these products. Vietnamese consumption of coffee, juice and smoothies actually increased in the past year.

    Since April 2016, Decision Lab had tracked the out-of-home eating and drinking market in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, Vietnam’s three biggest cities of Vietnam.

    It tracked all food and drink consumed out of home on a daily basis with an annual sample size of 15,000 completed interviews.

    The respondents were Vietnamese consumers aged above 15, who also reported on consumption by children (under 15 years) present when eating out.

    Nghiem Vu Huong Linh, head of Foodservice at Decision Lab, said the findings suggest that consumers have become very selective in their choice of outlets to visit and that not all outlets can benefit from the increasing demand without making significant efforts to become attractive and worth trying.

  • Jollibee Philippines Q3 profit rises

    Jollibee Philippines Q3 profit rises

    Philippine fast-food franchise Jollibee posted an increase in profit of nearly 20 per cent in its third quarter. Backed by strong sales, the firm has posted a 19.2 per cent rise in net income attributable to shareholders to PHP6.09 billion (US$114.5 million).

    According to Jollibee’s CFO Ysmael Baysa, the company’s global sales have seen strong growth this year, including in its home base in the Philippines, partly driven by concerted efforts to expand Jollibee’s store network.

    “We look forward to the recovery of Jollibee profit margins in the Philippines next year and the significant improvement in the profit performance of our new businesses in the next one to two years,” he said.

    Beyond its own franchise, Jollibee operates the Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon and Smashburger brands in various worldwide locations. It currently has 3003 stores worldwide, with more set to open in the immediate future in Malaysia and Guam.

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  • Burger King cancelled IPO plan

    Burger King cancelled IPO plan

    TFI TAB Food Investments, the exclusive operator of Burger King in the Turkish and Chinese markets, has withdrawn its expected US$220 million IPO in the US. Citing market volatility, TFI TAB withdrew the filing nine months after postponing the Burger King IPO following instabilities in Wall Street trading. The filing had already been scaled back from an initial ask of $400 million, offering 22 million shares for between $9–11. Plans were to use raised funds to pay off debts and for general business purposes.

    The Istanbul-based firm is the world’s largest Burger King franchise, operating 1822 locations – of which 766 are within China.

    According to the firm, “moving into China was bold. We entered this huge and vastly different market later than our competitors. We and our partners invested significant upfront capital as we signed on as the exclusive master franchisee and developer for Burger King in China.”

    In a  statement on the withdrawal the company said it would continue to evaluate the timing for a  Burger king IPO “as market conditions develop”.

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  • Hong Kong retail up in September despite massive growth slowdown

    Hong Kong retail up in September despite massive growth slowdown

    Retail sales in Hong Kong rose 1.4% year-on-year in September, signalling a considerable retail sales slowdown in the Asian economy, following a downwardly revised 7.9% increase in August. According to industry figures released on November 1, the September uptick is the smallest annual gain in Hong Kong retail sales since June 2017.

    The Census and Statistics Department (CENSTAD) attributed the slowdown to two factors, with the first being the temporary drag on inbound tourism from typhoon Mangkhut.

    Also, local consumer spending was reportedly hindered by negative sentiment, in light of the US-China trade conflicts and stock market corrections.

    Looking at the results closer by category, September food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco retail sales fell 0.8%, compared to an increase of 2.4% in August.

    Hong Kong fuel sales were down 2.9%, widening in terms of loss, compared to a 0.6% decline in the month prior.

    Hong Kong’s clothing and footwear retail sales figures fell a whopping 6.5%, compared to 3.4% in August, with growth stalling in September at department stores, up 1.1% compared to 11% in August.

    Likewise, jewellery, watches and clocks gained 5.3%, but proved to be a soft growth result, compared to the 22% lift last month.

    But not all categories in September underperformed.

    Retail sales at supermarkets swung to a 0.6% increase, compared to a decrease of 3.4%, while consumer durable goods gained 3.3% compared to 2.1% last month.

    Based on seasonally adjusted data, retail sales decreased by 3% in the third quarter, compared to the second quarter.

    Hong Kong retail sales have been on annual upward trajectory since 2005.

    For the last thirteen years, sales have gained on average 5.67%, with a high of 30.6% in February 2010.

    The lowest recorded result was an 18.5% downswing in February 2016.

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  • Hard Rock Cafe to be reintroduced in Philippines

    Hard Rock Cafe to be reintroduced in Philippines

    Bistro Group has acquired the exclusive franchise for Hard Rock Cafe in the Philippines, planning to reintroduce the brand in the region after a year’s absence. The Hard Rock group has high hopes for the partnership given the new local partner’s proven performance in the “Western-driven market.”

    Area franchise development VP Steve Yang said: “The Bistro Group is a strong industry player and with its robust portfolio of brands as well as its track record for more than 20 years, we are confident that they will be a strong partner to help us take Hard Rock Cafe in the Philippines to the next level.”

    The new Hard Rock Cafe will open next month in a 653sqm space at the Conrad S Maison mall in Pasay City, with four to five branches potentially in the works for Cebu and Bonifacio Global City.

    “Putting Hard Rock inside a mall is in response to the current lifestyle trend and is one of the best locations we’ve seen in our operations,” Yang said.

    Hard Rock’s VP for franchise operations and development Anibal Fernandez said the company wants to expand its presence in high-growth markets frequented by locals and tourists.

    “Last year alone we launched cafes in Spain, Austria, South Africa, Andorra, Bolivia, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Argentina and Nicaragua. In 2018 we are developing in Africa, Middle East, Europe, North and South America, South Asia and China, among others.”

  • Auntie Anne’s to make debut in Myanmar

    Auntie Anne’s to make debut in Myanmar

    Yoma Strategic and the parent company of pretzel franchise Auntie Anne’s – Focus Brands – are to bring the popular hand-rolled soft pretzel store to Myanmar. Myanmar’s first Auntie Anne’s outlet is scheduled to open in Yangon in the coming months with a more ambitious expansion planned over the next five years.

    Auntie Anne’s recently celebrated 30 years of operations and currently has more than 1800 outlets in 30 countries, including more than 600 locations outside of the US. The brand has established a strong presence in Asia.

    Yoma Strategic CEO Mr. Melvyn Pun said the company was seeing considerable growth in the market for freshly baked goods.

    “While many street vendors do offer traditional Myanmar alternatives, the addition of an iconic international brand will only enrich the local foodscape. It is also a big opportunity for a global brand to come in and offer consumers an exciting new twist on the current offerings in this sector.”

    Yoma F&B’s franchise portfolio also includes KFC and Little Sheep Hotpot. Yoma F&B is targeting the shifting consumption patterns and the rising discretionary disposable income of Myanmar’s expanding middle class, a group forecasted to reach 10 million by 2023.

  • Shake Shack lands in Singapore

    Shake Shack lands in Singapore

    American fast-food restaurant Shake Shack is landing in Singapore. The New York burger chain is opening up a location in Singapore’s awaited Jewel Changi Airport mall. In partnership with SPC Group, the South Korea-based restaurant distributor, Shake Shack said the firm took its time to discover the ideal location for the Madison Square Park-founded chain.

    “For years we’ve been looking for the right opportunity to enter the Singaporean market given its regional importance, and we’re thrilled to have found the right strategic partner and an ideal launch location,” said Michael Kark, Shake Shack’s vice-president of global licensing

    “Our flagship site will be in the stunning Jewel Changi Airport, home to more than 2,000 trees, harkening back to Shake Shack’s birthplace in NYC’s Madison Square Park.”

    To facilitate the market entry, Shake Shack said it also plans to work with local purveyors and producers to create unique offerings for the Singapore community. Shake Shack is no stranger to Asia.

    The company first entered the region in 2015 in Tokyo’s Gaien Park, before opening 10 outlets in Japan and seven in South Korea.

    In 2017, the firm opened a Hong Kong flagship.

    Shake Shack, in conjunction with SPC Group, intends to open a second location in Hong Kong planned for Pacific Place closer to 2019, as well as stores in Shanghai and Manila next year.

    Jewel, a new joint venture between Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand, houses over 280 shops across seven storeys from Basement 2 to Level 5.

    As well as Shake Shack, the retail space will also see the arrival of American fast food chain A&W, which left the Singaporean market a decade ago. The commercial development is slated to open March 2019.

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  • Jubilant FoodWorks Limited Q2FY19 standalone net profit rises yoy

    Jubilant FoodWorks Limited Q2FY19 standalone net profit rises yoy

    Jubilant FoodWorks Limited (JFL) has reported its financial results for the quarter and half year ended September 30, 2018. Operating revenues for Q2 FY19 were Rs 8,814 million, a growth of 21.3 percent over Q2 FY18 and a sequential growth of 3.1 percent over the previous quarter, driven by a strong same store growth (SSG) of 20.5 percent in Domino’s Pizza.

    EBITDA for Q2 FY19 came in at Rs.1,475 million at 16.7 percent of revenue, a growth of 44.4 percent over Q2 FY18. Profit after Tax in Q2 FY19 was at Rs 777 million at 8.8 percent of revenue and a growth of 60.2 percent over Q2 FY18.

    The strong performance in Q2 FY19 was a result of continued momentum driven by strategic initiatives taken during the recent past such as the product upgrade All New Domino’s, Every Day Value (EDV) extension to regular pizza and the continued momentum of online sales driven by the new Domino’s app.

    In particular, the new Domino’s app introduced during Q1 FY19 has been liked and received strong user ratings. Features like Easy Location Selection, Automatic Re-ordering, Train Ordering, Advance Ordering and hassle free payments have been well received. Online sales were up to 68 percent of delivery sales in the quarter, with 1.7 million downloads of the new app, the highest ever.

    The company stepped up the store opening momentum during the quarter, with 24 new Domino’s stores being opened, the highest in the last seven quarters.

    Dunkin’ Donuts too did well with strong growth driven by donuts and beverages; its losses more than halved over last year.

    Commenting on the performance for Q2 FY19, Shyam S. Bhartia, Chairman and Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman, Jubilant FoodWorks Limited said, “We are pleased with our Q2 FY 19 performance. Strong growth momentum continues to be driven by successful execution of growth strategy outlined at the beginning of FY 2018. ”

    Commenting on the performance for Q2 FY19, Pratik Pota, CEO and Whole time Director, Jubilant FoodWorks Limited said, “Despite significantly increased competitive intensity, Q2FY19 was yet another strong quarter delivered by our continued focus on the basics. Growth was driven by a strong and sustained momentum in delivery orders. In particular, our digital focus showed good results with strong online sales growth, enabled by the new Domino’s app garnering strong user ratings and having a slew of innovative and user friendly features. Dunkin’ Donuts too delivered healthy growth and is moving towards profitability.”

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  • Ronin Japanese Cuisine (Wanchai) Re-open with Facelfit

    Ronin Japanese Cuisine (Wanchai) Re-open with Facelfit

    Hong Kong’s contemporary Tabehoudai (all you can eat) Japanese buffet RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (WANCHAI) is celebrating a new facelift introducing enriched lunch and dinner menus showcasing freshest ingredients and seafood.

    The restaurant’s quality Tabehoudai dinner, uniquely enjoyed at leisure without time limit from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm daily, is priced just HK$328 (HK$188 for children and elderly) from Sundays to Thursdays, or HK$348 (HK$208 for children and elderly) on Fridays, Saturdays, public holidays and eves of public holidays.

    Offering business executives the ideal lunch option is a wide selection of fresh sashimi and sushi, Japanese donburi, tempura and sukiyaki sets range from HK$68 – HK$188, highlighting Special Sashimi Platter (HK$68), 8 Kinds of Sushi (HK$138), Ronin Deluxe Sashimi Donburi (HK$150), Ronin Tempura Set (HK$188), Grilled Steak & Foie Gras with Wasabi Sauce (HK$158), Pan-fried Lamb Rack and Prawn with Japanese Style Sauce (HK$148) and another enticing choices.

    In celebration of the new facelift, RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (WANCHAI) is introducing a special early lunch promotion till 12:30 pm, featuring sumptuous Diced Sashimi Donburi and Onsen Egg and Beef Donburi at only HK$50, including soup and a drink, available 7 days a week.

    On special promotion through November, guests who check-in via Facebook or Instagram additionally receive a complementary ‘Seafood Platter’, presenting the finest catch of the day.

    RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (WANCHAI)’s fresh and welcoming new look introduces a serene and contemporary Japanese design in dark wood with minimalist décor in earthy tones for an authentic and affordable Japanese dining experience in a rustic and friendly atmosphere.

    RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (WANCHAI) has attracted a loyal following since opening in 2014 – inspired by the spirit of samurai warriors known by the same name during Japan’s feudal era (1185-1868), who grew tough from confronting various challenges.  Likewise, the brand is dedicated to overcoming obstacles and challenges with the dedicated goal to serve only the very best to customers, including top quality ingredients flown jet fresh daily from Japan.

    RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (WANCHAI) is part of the Top Standard Corporation stable of Hong Kong restaurants that also encompasses premium sister Japanese restaurant RONIN JAPANESE CUISINE (CENTRAL) in Wellington Street; iconic Chinese dining destination San Xi Lou at Coda Plaza, Mid-Levels and Times Square, Causeway Bay; and Pure Veggie House at Coda Plaza, Mid-Levels.

    View the gallery below for the new look of the restaurant (6 images) :

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  • 18 hours queue for Jollibee London opening

    18 hours queue for Jollibee London opening

    Jollibee opened its first fast-food restaurant in London on Sunday, drawing queues of expat Filipinos who braved the autumn chill overnight to be among the first locally to savour Chicken Joy and burgers. According to mainstream news media, “thousands” of Filipinos visited the Jollibee London restaurant, located in Earl’s Court.

    Ernesto Tanmantiong, CEO of Jollibee Foods, said at a press briefing on the site that the crowds at the London store demonstrated the depth of customer loyalty to the brand which was helping the company reach its ambition of expanding all over the globe. He wants Jollibee to one day become the world’s largest fast-food operator.

    “Today, we are at number 11 or 12, depending on [our] stock price. To achieve that dream, we will require an aggressive expansion coming from strong organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”

    Jollibee plans to open 50 stores across Europe during the next five years, with Spain and Italy the priority markets after the UK, where it would target large cities.

    “We believe we can be successful in the UK because of two factors,” added Dennis Flores, head of international business in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. “We know our flagship product is Chicken Joy and the UK is the largest fried chicken [market] in Europe.”

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  • KitKat opens Osaka shop for made-to-order premium chocolate bars

    KitKat opens Osaka shop for made-to-order premium chocolate bars

    Nestle Japan has opened a permanent made-to-order Kit Kat store in Osaka. The new specialty store is the first and only permanent location in Japan where personalised Kit Kats can be made. It offers customised creations chilled on-the-spot with liquid nitrogen, with customers choosing from three types of chocolate and nine toppings.

    The store is located just outside Nankai Electric Railway’s Namba Station, a prominent Osaka sightseeing location, given the expected popularity of bespoke Kit Kats among tourists.

    Japan has developed a reputation internationally for its unique Kit Kat flavours, which have proved popular with visitors to the country. The confectionery originally comes from the UK.

    Nestle Japan says its made-to-order Kit Kats are sold from ¥702 (US$6.25).

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  • Hai Di Lao Is Opening Its First Store In Malaysia

    Hai Di Lao Is Opening Its First Store In Malaysia

    Popular hot pot franchise Hai Di Lao is finally coming to Malaysia. According to Makan Main Tengok’s Facebook page, the food chain’s first Malaysian outlet will be located at the ground floor of Sunway Pyramid Hotel.  Known for its fragrant and flavourful soups, Hai Di Lao started off as a humble shop selling “Ma La Tang” (which literally means spicy-numbing soup).

    The opening of Hai Di Lao also means there’s going to be a long queue and months of advance booking. On the bright side, the shop is known for offering free snacks, drinks, games and manicure services for those who are willing to wait for their table.

    Hai Di Lao operates more than 300 branches worldwide.

    The official opening date has yet to be announced.