McDonald’s Philippines is expanding, with new stores and branch upgrades unfolding this year along with menu additions.
There are currently around 650 McDonald’s restaurants in the territory, 61 of which opened last year.
“We’re continuing our aggressive expansion,” said McDonald’s MD Margot Torres. “In terms of new stores, we’re looking at about 50.”
The firm’s outlets will be upgraded to the McDonald’s Nxtgen system, featuring a touch-screen service allowing customers to place orders without interacting with a cashier. The Nxtgen kiosks also allow customers to customize their orders and access additional offerings.
An estimated 70 per cent of stores are expected to receive the upgrade by 2021
Retail sales may be down but Hong Kong restaurant sales rose by 3 percent in the first quarter of this year.
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) provisionally estimates the value of restaurants receipts at HK$31.5 billion, while the value of purchases by restaurants increased by 3.1 percent to $10 billion.
After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of restaurant receipts rose by 0.5 percent compared with a year earlier.
By comparison, Hong Kong retail sales for the quarter fell by 1.2 percent.
Analyzed by restaurant type, Chinese restaurant sales decreased by 0.6 percent in value and by 2.7 percent in volume. Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 4.8 percent in value and by 2.4 percent in volume. Fast food shop sales rose by 5.8 percent in value and by 2.8 percent in volume.
Sales in bars rose by 2.6 percent in value and by 0.4 percent in volume, while “miscellaneous eating and drinking places” saw sales rise by 11.2 percent in value and by 7 percent in volume.
C&SD also released figures for restaurant receipts and purchases for each month during the quarter. Receipts rose by 6.7 percent in January, by 0.8 percent in February and by 1.4 percent in March, compared with the same months last year.
However, after factoring in inflation, it estimated restaurant sales rose by 3.8 percent in January but decreased by 1.3 percent in February and by 1 percent in March.
Chinese KFC restaurants have begun serving parts of chickens not used before in response to rising costs.
According to Yum China CEO Joey Wat, the KFC brand introduced new chicken cuts in the first quarter from “a part of the chicken that we somehow have not used in the last 30-some years”. The cut is a portion between the wing and the breast.
The elevated poultry costs are largely attributed to a spin-off effect from the impact of African Swine Fever on the pork market as well as the current trade war with the US.
The costs have seen KFC’s operating margin reduced to 18.7 per cent from the previous 20.6 per cent, despite a rise in same-store sales of 5 per cent. KFC has faced commodity inflation of 5 per cent in the first quarter, according to the company’s earnings call.
“We expect poultry inflation to weigh on margins for the rest of the year,” said Yum China CFO Jacky Lo.
Wat stated that the chain may be turning to new technology to save its declining margins in the hope that such technology can provide “another way to cut out chicken.”
The brand may also introduce “some sort of ingredient” other than chicken “that probably has not been used before.”
Investment firm Finaccess’ takeover bid for quick-service group Restaurant Brands has been declared unconditional, with the firm accumulating 61.73 per cent of shares in the business.
While the firm’s offer specifies it is seeking 75 per cent of shares in the business, it was able to declare the offer unconditional should it reach over 50 per cent.
Shares in the business spiked almost 2 per cent after the news, increasing 17 cents to $8.92 per share, though the offer is paying $9.45 per share.
Group chief executive Russel Creedy was among those who decided to sell shares, offering up his 571,601 share stake in the business – an offer worth approximately $5.4 million.
While the offer is now considered unconditional, the end date has been automatically extended to 26 March, and the Restaurant Brands board continues to recommend shareholders accept the partial takeover for their shares in the absence of a greater offer.
The QSR group declared it had increased full-year sales to $794 million last week, due to strong growth in the KFC business in Australia and New Zealand.
KFC New Zealand saw sales increase to $336.5 million, a 5.3 per cent increase over the previous period, while Australian operations saw 27.8 per cent sales growth to $178.3 million.
Thai restaurant operator Zen Corporation secured THB975 million (US$31.35 million) via an IPO issued last Wednesday.
The firm sold all 75 million shares on offer, representing 25 per cent of its registered capital, at THB13 each. Its stock price grew 17.69 per cent over the course of its trading debut, as strong demand pushed the value per share up to THB15.30 on the first day.
Zen Corporation is known for its various restaurant chains, including its eponymous brand as well as Musha by Zen, Sushi Cyu Carnival Yakiniku, AKA, On the Table Tokyo Cafe, Tetsu and de Tummour.
The firm also operates food delivery, catering, restaurant management and consultancy services, as well as food retail operations.
Changi Airport has added new restaurants and stores to its retail offer. In the transit area, Irvin’s Salted Egg has opened a kiosk at Terminal 1. In the public areas, new eateries have opened at Terminal 3’s basement 2 including three by the Pezzo Group: Crave, Coffee Boy and Stuff’d. Mr Teh Tarik Express and multi-concept gourmet food hall, Terminal M, featuring a mix of Korean, Chinese and Japanese foods, are also available at this terminal.
Visitors can now shop a new outlet of casual clothing retailer The Blues or confectioner The Cocoa Trees.
Singapore Changi Airport handled 5.62 million passenger movements in January, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase.
Passenger traffic growth during January was broad-based with increases recorded for all regions except the Middle East.
Thai restaurant concept The Lobster Lab has opened its first outlet in Shanghai.
The restaurant, operated by Bangkok-based Thai Union Group opened inside one of Alibaba’s Hema supermarkets last month. It serves lobster rolls, seafood chowder and some western dishes.
The concept is based on Thai Union’s King Oscar brand, a dine-in and takeout restaurant which serves fresh lobsters imported from the US and Canada to meet “the growing Chinese consumer’s demand for tasty and nutritious seafood”.
Thai Union also owns the American-style seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster and plans to open one of those stores inside IFC mall in Shanghai soon.
The Lobster Lab is part of Thammachart Seafood Retail, of which Thai Union owns 25 per cent.
Japanese restaurant chain Wagyumafia is set to open in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai. It will be the franchise’s first international location since launching two years ago. Wagyumafia is known for its premium beef and members-only business model. The brand has gone through an extended promotion under co-founder Hisato Hamada, who has hosted pop-up events for the franchise in top international locations – including Paris, London, Singapore and New York.
The new Hong Kong location will be open for 18 members at a time, serving an omakase menu focused on choice Wagyu and Kobe beef yakiniku and shabu-shabu dishes.
Hamada said “Wagyumafia seeks to buy only the top 1 per cent of Kobe beef. To ensure our premium quality standards are met, we source our products from the top 20 best farmers in Japan.”
Reservations will be opened to non-members sometime after the first month of trading.
Highlands Coffee reported sales of VND1.24 trillion ($53.23 million) last year making it Vietnam’s largest coffee chain in terms of revenues. The figure was four times that of Phuc Long’s, eight times that of The Coffee House’s and thrice that of Starbucks’.
Founded in 2002 by a Vietnamese-American and sold to Philippine fast food giant Jollibee in 2012, Highlands Coffee now has 230 stores mostly in well-known buildings and malls.
Local chain The Coffee House saw revenues double last year. Nguyen Hai Ninh, its founder, said the chain received over 20 million visitors.
It now has over 100 stores nationwide, and Ninh said each store can serve 500 – 1,000 visitors on average daily. “We expect to double the number this year, and are looking to open 700 more across Vietnam in the next five years, at an average of 10 per month.”
The chain’s differentiating factor is that the emphasis is not renting the best locations; rather, it seeks to attract clientele with a modern, striking shop design that appeals to younger customers.
Its drinks are priced moderately, which helps it attract a wide range of customers.
It recently bought the coffee business of Da Lat-based Cau Dat Farm and simultaneously launched a flagship store in downtown Saigon, The Coffee House Signature.
Local brand Trung Nguyen’s highest revenue from any store is VND2-3 billion ($86,200-129,300) per month, while most make an average of VND400-500 million ($17,200-21,500).
By the end of this year Trung Nguyen is expected to have a total of 100 outlets.
Phuc Long, though a coffee chain associated with milk tea, has seen annual revenues grow at 7 percent in recent years, predominantly from the latter drink.
With the rapid growth of coffee chains, coffee consumption by Vietnamese has also risen sharply.
According to a study by BMI Research, a subsidiary of ratings firm Fitch, consumption grew from 0.43 kg per person in 2005 to 1.38 kg in 2015. This is the highest growth rate of any global coffee exporter, and the figure is forecast to reach 2.6 kg by 2021.
Family dining chain Denny’s is poised to expand its operations in the Philippines. The move has involved an amendment to its development agreement with The Bistro Group, which became a franchisee three years ago. Bistro operates six Denny’s Philippines restaurants in the territory, which will be expanded by an additional 20 locations.
Denny’s president and CEO John Miller said exciting growth enjoyed by a newer franchisee like The Bistro Group in the Philippines demonstrates the strength of the Denny’s brand beyond North America.
Denny’s senior VP & chief global development officer Steve Dunn added: “Denny’s is one of the fastest-growing family-dining chains across the globe, and it is very exciting to see franchise partners commit to expand their existing development commitments. We continue to have an active pipeline for growth as we further expand Denny’s international footprint.”
There are more than 1720 Denny’s restaurants around the world.
Food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy Thursday said it has expanded its presence in the country by launching services in sixteen new cities across India. The new cities include Thrissur, Tirupur, Warangal, Aurangabad, Agra, Mangalore, Manipal, Jalandhar, Trichy, Udaipur, Amritsar, Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar, Vellore, Thiruvananthapuram and Kota, Swiggy said in a statement.
These cities join the 28 cities across India where Swiggy already has presence, it added.
Commenting on the development, Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy said, “One of the reasons for the expansion across the country is because of the strong consumer demand that we have witnessed through thousands of Swiggy app downloads in cities where we were not even present.”
In just four years, Swiggy has become a household name among Indian consumers by providing them the best food delivery experience in the country, he added. The growing consumer demand in tier 2 and tier 3 cities for quality food, convenience, and easy accessibility are one of the key reasons for the company to enter newer cities. Swiggy said.
Founded in 2014, Swiggy currently has over 40,000 restaurant partners spread across 44 cities in the country.
Global fast-food chain Dunkin’ plans to reposition itself as a coffee chain – but it will still sell fresh donuts. Just a month after Dunkin’ Donuts unveiled rebranding, including dropping ‘Donuts’ from its name, the company has announced a strategy to put quality coffee at the core of its menu
Dunkin’ has previously revealed a US$100 million budget to revive its market position in its core US home market. Now it says half of that investment will be spent on espresso machines and other restaurant equipment enabling it to accelerate its beverage-led strategy. The company says Dunkin’ franchisees are also making a substantial investment in the initiative, which is focused on growing its market share of the hot and iced espresso category.
“Espresso is one of the fastest-growing coffee categories, particularly among younger consumers, and with our coffee credentials we believe we have a tremendous opportunity to improve our awareness and credibility among espresso drinkers,” said Tony Weisman, chief marketing officer at Dunkin’ US.
The company is promising “an entirely new espresso experience for customers” in its US restaurants by the coming holiday season, featuring new state-of-the-art espresso equipment, a new espresso recipe, extensive restaurant training and new espresso cups. Dunkin’ will serve “handcrafted hot and iced espresso beverages” – including lattes and cappuccinos – “featuring a rich, smooth, balanced taste that meets the profile preferred by espresso customers, and in particular younger espresso drinkers,” the company said in a statement.
Dunkin’ will support the launch with a comprehensive marketing campaign. New espresso cups are bright orange and feature an exclamation point, a symbol the company says positions the espresso beverages as bold, new and exciting.
“Relaunching espresso in our restaurants nationwide has been a tremendous undertaking, from installation of the new espresso machines, to the creation of the new, bolder taste profile, to the extensive employee training,” said Dunkin’ US COO Scott Murphy. “This is a transformative initiative, and it would never have happened without the total alignment and support of our franchisees.”
All espresso beverages served at Dunkin’ US restaurants will continue to be made with 100-per-cent espresso beans sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms.
MOKUTAN, Hong Kong’s latest sleek and contemporary Japanese Izakaya, celebrates grand opening in the vibrant heart of Tsim Sha Tsui at Empire Prestige. An exclusive, hole-in-the-wall gem designed for epicureans in the know, MOKUTAN offers a repertoire of high-quality, seasonal specialties, highlighting three affordable Omakase menus from HK$288.
MOKUTAN boasts a design that is reminiscent of Japan’s zen character. An expansive white wall marks the entrance to the restaurant, projecting a sense of simplicity that contrasts the eclectic bustle signature to Tsim Sha Tsui. Inside, down-to-earth materials such as packed earth, wood, and paper are used to give the space a minimalist feel, paying homage to an era of Japanese history.
An intimate space which seats 26 people, the L-shape open kitchen offers the perfect opportunity for diners to see the culinary team in action.
MOKUTAN’s three Omakase menus include a 9-course option featuring Chef’s choice of appetizer, meat and vegetable skewers, simmered dish, and soup (HK$288); or a 13-course menu showcasing more lavish dishes at HK$428. Those who crave for a complete MOKUTAN Izakaya experience may enjoy a sumptuous 18-course menu at HK$688, sampling an appetizer, 6 meat skewers, 6 vegetable skewers, a simmered dish, soup, grilled dish, seasonal seafood and rice.
Crafted to highlight the authentic flavors of Japanese Izakaya, MOKUTAN’s a la carte menu showcases a robust choice of Japanese classics. Chicken yakitori, the quintessential staple, features Satsuma chicken fresh from Kagoshima. It is presented in a multitude of ways; demonstrating the different flavors from a whole bird. Highlights include the bird’s neck, kidney, skin, heart, and tail, all of which are perfectly grilled under the expert hands of the culinary team.
Meat lovers can also enjoy classic skewers such as Minced Chicken (HK$48), Angus Beef Short Rib (HK$66), and a selection of seafood highlighting MOKUTAN Threadfin (HK$168), Water Eel (HK$68) and Yellowtail Joint (HK$138), while vegetarians have a vast menu of seasonal vegetable skewers to choose from. Japanese favorites such as Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls, HK$38-HK$48), Ochazuke (Rice in Green Tea Soup, HK$48), Onsen Tamago with Black Truffles (HK$68), Grilled Dried Cod Fish (HK$198), and Cheese Mochi (HK$28) serve as delectable side dishes.
Offering business executives the ideal Japanese lunch option is MOKUTAN’s special bento menu, featuring signature dishes such as the “MOKUTAN Threadfin” (HK$128) a light tasting but firm white fish and “MOKUTAN Chicken” (HK$98), a perfectly grilled chicken yakitori drenched in house special sauce that brings the right amount of fuel to power through the afternoon slump. Those who desire something heartier may opt for the succulent “Pork Belly” (HK$98), the melt-in-your-mouth Angus Beef Short Rib (HK$128), or the tender and distinctively taste “Lamb Chop” (HK$118). All lunch sets are served with daily special appetizer, soup, salad, and rice.
Complementing the yakitori experience, diners may choose to pair their meals with premium sake such as Daina, Born and Dassai; while luscious plum wine from Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai make a perfect aperitif.
“The simplicity in which yakitori is presented masks the technique and skill that goes into the dish,” shares Benson Ling, co-owner of MOKUTAN and brainchild of trendy sushi roll concept – Chottomaki. “At MOKUTAN, we are delighted to bring a genuine Yakitori experience in a relaxing and intimate setting.”
View the gallery of the newly opened restaurant below (7 images) :
Food delivery app Uber Eats in partnership with Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) on Friday launched a network of virtual restaurants that will offer more choices of ‘delivery-only’ restaurant brands. The first restaurant brand under this partnership is scheduled to launch in mid-November on Uber Eats app, the company said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to partner with CCD – the pioneers of cafe culture in India,” said Jason Droege, Vice President of UberEverything, Uber Technologies.
“Using experience and lessons learnt in the virtual restaurant space from our global operations, we hope to provide our Indian restaurant partners greater growth opportunities,” Droege added.
Uber Eats is currently present in 37 cities in India while CCD has a network of 1,742 cafes across 246 cities in India.
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) :
