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Tag: Restaurant

  • Japanese burger chain Niku Niku Oh! Kome debuts in Hong Kong

    Japanese burger chain Niku Niku Oh! Kome debuts in Hong Kong

    Japanese-style burger chain Niku Niku Oh! Kome – owned by Japanese restaurant chain operator Monogatari Corporation – has launched its first outlet in Hong Kong as part of its broader expansion across Asia.

    Located in Sha Tin, the restaurant has 40 bar seats surrounding an open kitchen. It specialises in freshly handmade wagyu burgers seated on hot plates or served on rice with egg yolk for a “classic Japanese experience”.

    The wagyu hamburgers are crafted from a blend of Kyushu black wagyu beef and US beef, while the rice served is Niji No Kirameki, sourced from Japan’s Tohoku region.

    Makoto Hori, senior executive officer, Monotogari Corporation, said that Hong Kong, being an international city close to the mainland, offers the company an opportunity to raise brand awareness in the Asian region.

    “We have already opened 16 restaurants in Mainland China since November 2022, and local customers have well received our food,” he added.

    Established in 1949, Monogatari Corporation has more than 700 restaurants in Japan and overseas, with 15 restaurant brands serving various Japanese foods, including yakiniku, ramen, okonomiyaki, sushi and shabu-shabu.

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  • Yum Restaurants India to sell stake in local Yum Brands franchisee

    Yum Restaurants India to sell stake in local Yum Brands franchisee

    Yum Restaurants India is reported to have sold its 4.4 per cent share in Devyani International for US$105 million.

    Devyani International, from which Yum Restaurant acquired the stake in 2021, is the main franchisee of Yum Brands in China, operating KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

    SBI Mutual Fund (MF), Axis MF, Franklin Templeton MF, Nippon India MF, and Goldman Sachs are among the investors in Devyani International’s stock.

    Devyani is planning to push the expansion of these brands, strengthening its growth strategy in FY24 by purchasing 274 KFC restaurants in Thailand, marking its first foray into Thailand’s quick-service and limited-service restaurant markets.

    The business also plans 2000 stores across the globe by the end of this year, ahead of the previous target date of 2026.

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  • Gordon Ramsay’s group set to open 14 restaurants in Thailand

    Gordon Ramsay’s group set to open 14 restaurants in Thailand

    Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, owned by the namesake world-renowned chef, is expected to open 14 locations in Thailand as part of its expansion in Asia.

    The first two restaurants will open at Emsphere Mall in Bangkok in December through a partnership with Tanachira Group. Twelve more outlets are to be opened in the coming years.

    Located on the mall’s ground floor, the Bread Street Kitchen & Bar will feature a sophisticated all-day dining experience, with the menu consisting of Gordon Ramsay classics such as Beef Wellington and Fish & Chips.

    The Street Pizza will be on the first floor, offering bottomless sourdough pizzas, hot wings, fries, beers and cocktails, along with live music in a vibrant atmosphere.

    “This new partnership with Tanachira Group continues our global growth, whilst bringing our fantastic casual and premium casual brands to a new audience in Bangkok,” said Andy Wenlock, CEO of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.

    The expansion into Thailand follows the group’s recent openings of four restaurants in South Korea and two in Malaysia.

    Gordon Ramsay Restaurants currently operates 37 restaurants in the UK and 35 restaurants internationally, including the US, South Korea, Malaysia, France, Dubai, and Singapore.

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  • Tim Hortons plans ‘hundreds’ of restaurants across SE Asia

    Tim Hortons plans ‘hundreds’ of restaurants across SE Asia

    Japan’s Marubeni plans to open hundreds of Tim Hortons coffee shop franchises in three Southeast Asian countries, a move the trading conglomerate hopes will make around $300 million in sales by 2033.

    Tim Hortons, headquartered in Canada, currently has over 5,600 locations worldwide. Marubeni signed an agreement with Tim Hortons’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International, to develop and operate the new coffee shops in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

    Marubeni plans to start opening franchises in Singapore and Malaysia in the next fiscal year beginning this April, while stores in Indonesia will begin opening in fiscal 2024. The plans will see hundreds of new Tim Hortons franchises in operation by 2033.

    Marubeni will make use of its existing retail network in Southeast Asia to support operation of the new businesses, which will have menus tailored to local tastes. Currently, Marubeni chiefly operates stores that sell pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

    The Tim Hortons franchises will be the first businesses launched under a new corporate development division Marubeni established last year, focused on business growth in the Asian consumer market.

    Going forward, Marubeni plans to position restaurant operations as a core segment of its business expansion ventures.

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  • Louis Vuitton opens its first restaurant, The Hall in China

    Louis Vuitton opens its first restaurant, The Hall in China

    French luxury fashion Maison Louis Vuitton has opened its first restaurant concept in China dubbed ‘The Hall’ adjacent to Louis Vuitton flagship at Chengdu’s Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping complex.

    The Hall, previously home to a Louis Vuitton pop-up store, is located in the historical building Guangdong Hall. The restaurant will collaborate seasonally with Michelin-starred chefs worldwide to offer a diverse selection of menus. From now until March, its first star chef Olivier Elzer will serve customers in China a fusion menu that blends local and French cuisine. The restaurant offers lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner service.

    As part of the launch, the fashion house launched an interactive game dubbed ‘Mah Jump’ on WeChat Mini Program. The Hall follows the launch of the 2000sqm House of Louis Vuitton earlier this year, which consists of two buildings and an open courtyard.

    “This is unsurprising as the rising consumer purchasing power of Chengdu is attracting luxury brands to the ‘tier 1’ city,” said Bobby Verghese, consumer analyst at GlobalData.

    “The iconic historical location Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li will aid LMVH in localizing its brand image in China at a time when local cosmetics brands are stealing the thunder from MNCs. The brand is finding its way into the hearts of Chinese consumers through food.”

    According to the data company, Chengdu’s GDP is a fast-emerging economic powerhouse with real GDP of $129.3 billion and per-capita real GDP of $7.9 billion this year, which is not significant compared to Beijing’s real GDP of $432.7 billion and per-capita real GDP of $19.7 billion.

    The Hall marks the brand’s fourth restaurant in Asia after Le Cafe V locations at Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji and Ginza and the pop-up restaurant at Maison Seoul location.

  • The enormous cost of McDonald’s Russian exit

    The enormous cost of McDonald’s Russian exit

    McDonald’s became the symbol of glasnost in action 30 years ago when it opened its first restaurant in Moscow. But after temporarily shutting down more than 800 restaurants following the invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s has decided to leave Russia altogether.

    The burger chain will sell its Russia business, saying the “humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”
    In March, shortly after the war began, McDonald’s followed other Western companies and temporarily shut down its restaurants in Russia.
    Once the sale is finalized, the Russian restaurants will be “de-Arched,” meaning the locations will no longer be allowed to use the McDonald’s name, logo or menu. McDonald’s said its employees will still be paid until the transaction closes and that “employees have future employment with any potential buyer.”
    CEO Chris Kempczinski said he’s proud of the more than 60,000 workers employed in Russia and said the decision was “extremely difficult.”
    “However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values. And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there,” he said.
    The decision brings to a remarkable end McDonald’s three-decade relationship with Russia. McDonald’s opened the doors of its first restaurant in Moscow on January 31, 1990. More than 30,000 were served and the Pushkin Square location had to stay open hours later than planned because of the crowds.
    Its arrival in Moscow was about more than just Big Macs and fries, noted Darra Goldstein, a Russia expert at Williams College. It was the most prominent example of Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbechev’s attempt to open up his crumbling country to the outside world.
    “There was a really visible crack in the Iron Curtain,” she previously said. “It was very symbolic about the changes that were taking place.” About two years later, the Soviet Union would collapse.
    McDonald’s exit “represents a new isolationism in Russia, which must now look inward for investment and consumer brand development,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData said in a note Monday. He added that other Western brands take “principled stance on the concepts of freedom and democracy” and revisit their businesses in Russia.
    McDonald’s will take a significant write-off from exiting Russia — between $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. Shares were barely changed in early trading.
    “The fact that McDonald’s owns most of its restaurants in Russia means there is an asset rich business to sell,” said Saunders. “However, given the circumstances of the sale, the financial challenges faced by potential Russian buyers, and the fact that McDonald’s will not license its brand name or identity, it is unlikely the sale price will be anywhere near the pre-invasion book value of the business.”
    In its most recent earnings report, McDonald’s said closing its restaurants in Russia had cost it $127 million last quarter. Nearly $27 million came from staff costs, payments for leases and supplies. The other $100 million was from food and other items it will have to dump.
    McDonald’s had 847 restaurants in Russia at the close of last year, according to an investor document. Together with another 108 in Ukraine, they accounted for 9% of the company’s revenue in 2021.
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  • Uber Eats leaving Hong Kong at the end of 2021

    Uber Eats leaving Hong Kong at the end of 2021

    Food delivery giant Uber Eats revealed on Tuesday it would wind down its Hong Kong operations by year’s end after seeing slower-than-expected growth.

    “Uber Eats has unfortunately not grown as expected in Hong Kong,” the company said in response to a Post inquiry. “This decision has been made independent of the global pandemic, and is in line with our broader strategy on Uber Eats.”

    One of the city’s three main food delivery platforms – along with Deliveroo and Foodpanda – Uber Eats launched in Hong Kong in October 2016 and has seen a sharp rise in orders throughout the coronavirus pandemic over the past two years.

    “After five years of partnering with restaurants and delivery people in Hong Kong, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Uber Eats in Hong Kong on December 31, 2021,” the company said earlier in the day.

    Uber Eats said its priority was now to support its employees, restaurant partners, delivery people, and customers as it moved towards shutting down, but added it was “more committed than ever” to growing its ride-hailing services in the city.

    “We will keep investing and serve more riders and drivers in coming years by bringing the very best technology to Hong Kong,” the company, which operates in a legal grey area in the city, said.

    The spokesman said the company would continue providing support to customers and partners until the end of January.

    Uber Eats employs 5,000 delivery workers, some of whom signed up after losing their jobs amid the pandemic, and its service covers 16 of the city’s 18 districts.

    In July, Uber Eats launched a campaign in support of the small and medium-sized restaurants that use its platform, snagging celebrity endorsements from singers Alfred Hui and Joyce Cheng.

    In recent months, with almost no local transmission of the coronavirus, Hong Kong’s restaurant industry, along with other businesses such as hotels, have seen signs of recovery, and bookings are healthy for the year-end holiday season.

    Although social-distancing restrictions limiting the number of people permitted at venues such as bars and restaurants remain in place, about a third of the city’s 16,000 restaurants can now seat up to six per table, as long as diners have received at least one dose of a vaccine and use the government’s “Leave Home Safe” risk-exposure app.

    The latest data from SevenRooms, a booking platform used at more than 350 of Hong Kong’s high-end restaurants, showed people were dining out and spending more this year when compared with two years ago, before the pandemic hit.

    Earlier this month, Foodpanda couriers, upset with a cut to their delivery fees and other issues, went on strike for two days.

    The strike ended after the company agreed to make changes to its mobile app and fee calculation system as well as look into other demands

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  • HCMC restaurants reopen with caution

    HCMC restaurants reopen with caution

    HCMC restaurants and coffee shops are resuming on-site dining with caution due to concerns of staff contracting Covid-19 and post-social-distancing tightened spending. Starting Thursday, over 20 outlets of bubble tea chain Gong Cha started resuming on-site services after five months of suspension.

    As the city allows food and beverage facilities to serve 50 percent of their capacity and close before 9 p.m., the Cong Coffee chain is also testing the waters with five outlets reopening.

    aCoffee-Bike also reopened five stores on the same day. On Friday, Japanese-style hotpot chain Kichi Kichi will resume dining for customers who have made reservations.

    Some companies, however, choose to delay their reopening to be better prepared.

    Dau Homemade, which sells traditional Vietnamese food, needs another two or three days to get ready.

    Lagom Cafe won’t open for another two weeks, as its CEO Do Thi Ly Na said the store needs more time to observe market reactions and to complete a new look.

    The cautious decisions of food and beverage facilities in Ho Chi Minh City came as shop owners are concerned their staff might be infected with Covid-19 as the city still recorded over 1,000 new cases in the last seven days.

    It would be dangerous to immediately bring back business to pre-pandemic status as the coronavirus is still spreading, said Hoang Tien, founder of Coffee Bike.

    Dau Homemade, which is offering take-aways and deliveries, is still testing its employees once every three days even though the city does not require it.

    A spokesperson for the company said another concern is tightened spending as consumers have grown used to five months of staying mostly home.

    Sales are not likely to cover costs as the company will have to spend big on marketing to urge customers to return.

    Deliveries will continue to be the life source of the company, the spokesperson said.

    Tran Ngoc An, a spokesperson for Gong Cha, expressed optimism as the city has decided to live with Covid-19 and authorities vocalized not imposing another citywide social distancing campaign.

    This will give food and beverage businesses confidence to offer services amid the remaining months of the year.

    “We really want to see the city become vibrant again in the upcoming holidays.”

  • TamJai SamGor concept to open in Lan Kwai Fong

    TamJai SamGor concept to open in Lan Kwai Fong

    Hong Kong noodle chain TamJai SamGor Mixian is expanding its presence in its home market with a flagship concept launch in the nightlife hub of Lan Kwai Fong this week.

    The TamJai SamGor store will also unveil the brand’s new international image, featuring its signature red and black colors together with Hong Kong-style neon light signs.

    “The design demonstrates TamJai SamGor’s ambition of infusing overseas elements into a Hong Kong brand, showcasing the idea of a mix of cultures and growing business in international markets,” the company said in a statement.

    The store facade features a large rectangular window with a neon light frame and a  three-dimensional sign saying ‘TamJai SamGor’ in Chinese characters on one side and ‘TJSG’ on the other side.

    Alcohol and pairing snacks, not available in other outlets, will be rolled out at the restaurant. TamJai SamGor in Lan Kwai Fong is scheduled to open this Friday (July 9).

    Since opening its first store in Hong Kong in 2008, TamJai SamGor Mixian has grown its network to more than 70 restaurants across the city. The noodle chain made its overseas debut in Singapore last year.

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  • Pepsi virtual restaurant matches fizz with foods

    Pepsi virtual restaurant matches fizz with foods

    PepsiCo in the US has launched a digital kitchen called Pep’s Place to encourage consumers to experiment with matching foods with various Pepsi beverages.

    From this week, consumers can visit a dedicated website to select from eight Pepsi drinks and match them with renowned American dishes like cheeseburgers, buffalo wings, Cajun chicken sandwiches, chopped pork sandwiches, spare ribs, and chicken caesar salads. Orders will be fulfilled by major food-delivery services Uber Eats, Door Dash, and Grub Hub, or by Pepsi itself.

    Customers order by first choosing a drink – Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Pepsi Real Sugar, Pepsi Wild Cherry, Pepsi Zero Sugar Wild Cherry, Pepsi Mango, and Pepsi Zero Sugar Mango. After that, they are prompted with a selection of food items Pepsi believes complements the drink.

    “For years we have known that Pepsi is the perfect complement to a variety of foods,” said Todd Kaplan, VP of marketing at Pepsi. “But even though consumers know that food tastes Better With Pepsi, they often still forget to order a beverage with their favorite meals.

    “With the launch of Pep’s Place, we have designed a new ‘fast beverage’ restaurant delivery concept that features a menu and experience literally built around the idea of what foods go best with Pepsi, allowing consumers at home to fully optimize their meals,” he said.

    Pep’s Place will trade for a month, supported by eight television commercials broadcast nationwide. The company says the ads were filmed without “unrealistic, idealistic perfection” of food, instead depicting “the celebration of unapologetic love of foods like juicy, drippy cheeseburgers, topping-heavy hot dogs, and pizzas with the extra-long cheese pull”.

    As the example below shows, some are amusing…

  • Gordon Ramsay to open first restaurant in Malaysia

    Gordon Ramsay to open first restaurant in Malaysia

    Multi-Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsay is to open Malaysia’s first Bar & Grill concept in Kuala Lumpur this year.

    Located at Sunway Resort in Selangor, Bar & Grill will feature a varied all-day menu, including Gordon Ramsay’s signature dishes such as Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The restaurant is scheduled to launch this June.

    Featuring contemporary interiors, the restaurant design will “create an inviting ambiance, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the lagoon, and a private dining room, setting the stage for intimate events,” Sunway Resort KL said on its website.

    The restaurant will also mark the brand’s first outpost outside the original Mayfair outlet.

    Gordon Ramsay, who holds seven Michelin stars, has a collection of acclaimed restaurants in the UK, Europe, and the US. He is also the star of popular shows such as Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen, and MasterChef US.

  • 7-Eleven in Taiwan to offer restaurant grade fresh meals

    7-Eleven in Taiwan to offer restaurant grade fresh meals

    Convenience store chain 7-Eleven in Taiwan has partnered with a restaurant and a hotel to offer fresh-cooked meals to consumers.

    The service, launching this week at the Dongxing Road outlet in Taipei, will retail assorted boxed meals targeting office workers following seven different menus prepared for the venture by Regent Taipei chefs and restaurant Su/food.

    Customers are invited to place advance orders for the meals, to be picked up on the same or following day at noon. The partnering providers will deliver the meals to the participating stores, which will store them to preserve the temperature.

    7-Eleven in Taiwan expects the venture to increase its meal sales by 10 to 20 percent. After a trial period, the concept is expected to be rolled out more widely.

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  • Top fried chicken restaurant chains post growth

    Top fried chicken restaurant chains post growth

    Vietnam’s three most popular fried chicken restaurant chains earned combined revenues of VND4.3 trillion ($185.5 million) last year, up more than 11 percent year-on-year. South Korean brand Lotteria recorded the highest revenues at VND1.68 trillion ($72.5 million), up nearly 8 percent year-on-year. It has the highest number of outlets in Vietnam at over 210 in more than 30 localities.

    Lotteria’s performance was an improvement with over the 2 percent growth rate recorded in 2018 and 2017, but smaller than the double-digit rate it enjoyed from 2014-2016.

    It was followed by American brand KFC with revenues of nearly VND1.5 trillion ($64.3 million), up 1.3 percent year-on-year. In 2018 and 2017 its growth rate was 7.5 and 18.3 percent respectively.

    KFC, the earliest of the three to enter Vietnam, has over 140 outlets in 32 localities. In third place, with revenues of VND1.1 trillion, was a Filipino brand Jollibee. With over 100 outlets, Jollibee posted the highest growth of the three at over 40 percent year-on-year.

    In the last three years, its annual growth rate has averaged over 37 percent, several times that of KFC and Lotteria. But of the three chains, only KFC posted a pre-tax profit of VND102 billion last year, its fourth consecutive profit-making year.

    Both Lotteria and Jollibee have been reporting losses in the last five years. Last year, the two chains reported losses of VND22 billion and VND10 billion, respectively.

    Market observers have attributed the slower growth of fast-food chains in recent years to changing eating habits among the Vietnamese, who are prioritizing health over convenience.

    Market research firm Nielsen had said earlier in a report that there was an increasing percentage of Vietnamese identifying health as a sign of success instead of richness. The rising number of food contamination cases and environmental issues have also prompted people to care more about health issues, it said.

    In 2018, there were 7,000 fast food outlets in Vietnam, a relatively insignificant number considering there are around 540,000 food and beverage businesses comprised of 430,000 street vendors, 80,000 restaurants, and 22,000 cafes and bars, according to Dcorp R- Keeper, a global company which provides technological solutions to food and beverage businesses.

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  • Korean restaurant chains cry foul over Covid-19 rules

    Korean restaurant chains cry foul over Covid-19 rules

    South Korean restaurant chains are accusing the government of using “discriminatory countermeasures” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    Recent edicts to prevent the spread of the latest outbreak in the country have seen the closure of buffet and family-style restaurants, while still allowing cafes to operate. Prominent chains CJ Foodville, Shinsegae Food and Elandeats have expressed their dissatisfaction with the discrepancy, which has involved multiple outlet closures and necessitated the dumping of fresh food.

    “The largest number of coronavirus cases was confirmed at Starbucks coffee shop(s), but I don’t understand why restaurant chains are targeted,” a family restaurant worker told the Korea Times. “Starbucks closed its relevant branches for a few days and then they reopened them.”

    The restaurant chains had previously instituted anti-Covid-19 precautions, such as checking the temperatures of customers and enforcing social distancing.

    The Korea Times quoted one CJ Foodville official as saying: “It is our obligation to follow the government’s regulations, but we hope people don’t continue to think that our restaurants are high-risk after things get better.”

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  • Yum China eyes US$2 billion HK stock listing

    Yum China eyes US$2 billion HK stock listing

    Yum China – the operator of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and local restaurant chains – is reportedly preparing to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange as early as next month.

    The IPO, should it proceed, is likely to raise as much as US$2 billion, according to Bloomberg, which cited inside sources who asked not to be identified

    Approval for the listing will be sought from the territory’s stock exchange as early as this month.

    Yum China, controlled by its US namesake Yum! Brands, has been working with Goldman Sachs, China International Capital, Citigroup, UBS and CMB International to prepare for the listing.

    Last month, Yum China marked its 10,000-store milestone, opening a KFC in Bo’ao, Hainan province, and CEO Joey Wat said then that the Covid-19 pandemic will not impact this year’s store rollout plan.

    “With our innovation capabilities, strong digital strategy, and resilient business model, I believe we will emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever, and ready to capture the exciting long-term market opportunity in China,” she said.

    Yum China’s total sales fell 11 percent year on year to US$1.9 billion in the first quarter of this year, while net income fell 26 percent to $132 million.

    Michael Pearson, head of corporate equities at Oak Stone Limited, said the specifics of the deal such as timing and size have not yet been finalized and are likely to change in the coming weeks.

    “New York-listed Yum China is another company who join the growing wave of US-listed Chinese firms seeking a trading foothold in Hong Kong due to the deteriorating relations between the US and China,” added James Burnley, head of wealth management at Oak Stone.

    “Regulators in the US are threatening to restrict the access of Chinese companies to the American capital markets if they refuse to let authorities review their audits,” he said.

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