Outlets: Openings Attract Long Lines
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2 | Tuesday, September 22, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY PAGE TWO Outlets: Openings attract long lines From page 1 In 2016, it opened its first restaurant on the Chinese mainland in Shanghai near the Oriental Pearl Tower in the Lujiazui area. The decor features a classic Californian-in- spired look and design, including guitars, graffiti art and surfboards hanging from the ceiling. In addition to the Beijing branch, it recently launched outlets in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and now has 11 restaurants on the mainland. The Beijing branch, at Hello Mart, Liang- maqiao, features a locally inspired graffiti wall celebrating the city’s landmarks and culture. The menu includes the brand’s favorites, adapted to cater to local tastes, as well as new items developed exclusively for the Chi- nese market, such as a rice bowl dish, sea- soned chicken bone and taco pizza. Jim Boyce, a Canadian working as a con- sultant in the alcoholic beverage industry, who moved to Beijing in 2008, has fond memories of Taco Bell from his days as a col- lege student in Waterloo, Ontario, as the franchise offered him a “cheap, reliable and delicious option”. He likes the new products at the Beijing branch, but hopes that more-original items will be included on the menu. “It’s actually pretty upscale compared with some Taco Bell outlets I’ve seen. I like the fact that they have seating outside,” Boy- ce said. Liu Xiangheng, the founder of Hello Mart, said Taco Bell signed a deal for the location Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons, which is expanding rapidly in China, plans to have 1,500 outlets in the country in the next decade. WANG GANG / FOR CHINA DAILY after Spring Festival and decoration work started at the branch in about May. rose pastry made by the city’s time-honored “The brand positioning of Taco Bell fits snack brand Daoxiangcun. with Hello Mart, as many of the customers On Sept 10 in Tianjin, the New York who live nearby have overseas backgrounds, cake brand Lady M opened its latest and there are also many embassies in the branch on the mainland, where it now has area,” Liu said. 23 outlets. He has noticed that long lines, which have Founded in 2001, Lady M has more than been a rare sight since the onset of the pan- 40 branches worldwide. The brand entered demic, have formed since the branch the mainland in Shanghai in 2017, expand- opened. ing to Beijing a year later. Due to the outbreak, customer footprint Each year, it launches a limited number of at Hello Mart in February dropped to less mooncakes to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festi- than 5 percent of the normal level, and has val. Demand for them is always high. only since recovered to about 65 percent. This year, the mooncakes feature in the In addition to Taco Bell, Liu is bringing a animated musical Over the Moon, a collab- German restaurant, an outlet specializing in oration between Netflix and Pearl Studios. French cuisine, and a Malaysian eatery to The film tells the story of a bright young Hello Mart. A beer garden with a night fair girl who builds a rocket ship and blasts has also been launched. off, hoping to meet a mythical moon god- Liu said a Starbucks Reserve outlet will dess. open at Hello Mart at the end of this month. The packaging for the mooncakes fea- Just 3 kilometers away, in the capital’s tures an illuminated lantern depicting Sanlitun area, another US catering brand, scenes from the film. The lantern also con- Shake Shack, has just opened its first branch tains six mooncakes in two flavors — sweet in the city. Even though it rained heavily on egg custard and chocolate custard. opening day, long lines formed to sample Ken Romaniszyn, the Lady M CEO, said the outlet’s burgers. it is fun creating the collectible packaging Shake Shack opened its first China store for the mooncakes every Mid-Autumn in Hong Kong in May 2018 and launched in Festival. Shanghai in February last year. Customers line up to buy fried chicken at a Popeyes branch in Shanghai. LONG WEI / FOR CHINA DAILY Xu Xitong, chief executive of Kotobuki The news website Jiemian quoted Lou Spirits (China), introduced the cheesecake Wei, general manager for Shake Shack from brand LeTao, to China in 2018. The brand’s Maxim Group, which operates the brand in rants in China, Siddiqui said. Tim Hortons, which opened in Shanghai store in the small Japanese port city of Ota- China, as saying that Shake Shack plans to RBI operates 27,000 restaurants world- a year ago, is expanding rapidly in China, ru, where it was founded, is a must-visit des- open 55 branches on the mainland by 2030. wide, and about 1,500 of them are in China, and now has 70 branches in the country and tination for Chinese visitors. “We will be in Shanghai and Beijing and according to Siddiqu. is aiming to have 1,500 in the next decade. Consumers in the city “Our team visited LeTao in Japan many then expand to other cities,” Lou said. “The important thing to look at is that the Siddiqui, from RBI, said, “When we think (Shanghai) have shown times before we finally brought its cheese- Shake Shack aims to set up branches at company is opening at a faster pace in China about expansion, we concentrate on specific cakes to China,” Xu said. locations with indoor and outdoor space. than any other market in the world,” he said. areas before going to new cities.” they have the taste and The first LeTao store in China opened in The brand targets customers in the 25 to 35 He said Tim Hortons prides itself on hav- affinity for Western fast the Xintiandi area of Shanghai, “a place that age group, but also focuses on connecting First impressions ing a high-quality product and affordable fuses Chinese and Western culture and is with local communities. To make a good impression when they prices in convenient locations. “The more food restaurants. It’s a one of the city’s landmarks,” Xu said. Lou said it will aim for more cooperation launch in China, overseas brands pay great restaurants we open, the more convenient good place to launch Long lines formed at the store for a month with local Chinese brands. attention to the decor and menus at their we become,” he added. after it opened. Due to the pandemic, Shake Shack outlets. He thinks the coffee market in China is before we expand to Xu soon opened two other stores in launched ordering though the WeChat Mini Some choose to retain their original becoming more competitive, but is also other cities.” Shanghai before expanding to nearby cities, program. style of decor, while others feature local growing so quickly that there is room for including Nanjing and Suzhou in Jiangsu “We were not planning to go digital, as we culture in the design, such as on menus. more brands. Sami Siddiqui, Asia-Pacific province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang are a new brand entering China. Self-ordering Some stick with their original menus, “I think Chinese customers see good val- president of Restaurant Business province. International Inc may reduce communication between our while others feature local dishes to attract ue for money when they purchase Tim The first LeTao store in Beijing, at Taikoo staff members and customers, and we want to customers. Hortons coffee,” he said, adding that res- Li, Sanlitun, was due to open on Feb 14, but interact more with our clients,” Lou said. Italian coffee company Lavazza launched taurant designs have been tailored to platforms. the date had to be postponed to May due to Taco Bell and Shake Shack took more its flagship store in Shanghai at the end of attract local customers. The brand was founded by Canadian hock- the pandemic. than a year to expand from Shanghai to Bei- April — its first branch outside Italy. The company’s coffee beans are roasted in ey player Tim Horton, and many of its cus- Xu said the cheesecakes are made in jing, but Popeyes, a fried chicken fast food The store, located in Jing’an, an old dis- Canada before being shipped to China, tomers are sports lovers. Japan and shipped to China. The pandemic restaurant chain from the US, has had its trict in the heart of the city, boasts high ceil- where, apart from the coffee, most of its has meant a longer transportation time, but foot firmly on the accelerator. ings, artistic murals and marble decor, as ingredients are sourced. Local inspiration supplies have not been affected. It opened its first China outlet in Shang- well as the 125-year-old brand’s iconic Moka In May, internet giant Tencent decided to In addition to its burgers, the newly “The summer season has passed. As our hai on May 16, now has five branches in the Carmencita coffee maker. invest in Tim Hortons. The two are collabo- opened Shake Shack outlet in Beijing offers main products are frozen cheesecakes and city and will shortly open one in Beijing, The outlet is run by Chinese restaurant rating on a range of digital and marketing the Hutong Hawthorn milkshake, inspired ice cream, we will continue our expansion according to Sami Siddiqui, Asia-Pacific giant Yum China, which operates the KFC activities, including e-sports, and are also by the traditional street snack tanghulu, plans in Beijing next year,” Xu said, adding president of Restaurant Business Interna- brand in the country.