Restaurant franchising is often heard of international brands coming from the United States, European countries and Thailand, just to name a few. Costa Coffee of the UK and Starbucks Coffee of the US are ones among the well-known coffee franchise brands that have positioned in Phnom Penh to fight for its roughly US$744 million annual spending on foods and drinks. However, there is a recent initiative of offering local brand franchises.
Park Café, Foods & Beverages Co. Ltd., a casual dining restaurant chain locally owned by a group of Cambodian restaurateurs, plans franchise offerings and now is studying the market feasibility and requirements it has to fill. To provide an insight into the franchising initiatives, Park Café’s general manager Chan Sy reveals the plan.
What does Park Café see as an opportunity to initiative franchise offerings?
Business opportunity is seen when there’s a gap to fill. For Park Café, which is a casual dining restaurant chain that serves casual foods along with Asian and Western drinks, the demand is growing stronger among professionals who enjoy dining and networking. Our success is known from our continuous expansions –from one to six outlets–and two more outlets are coming by the end of this year.
When people talk about restaurant franchising, more is often heard of about international brands. For a local name like Park Café, what do you see the possibility of franchise offerings?
That’s the reason why we initiate this idea. First, we’ve seen a growing number of people accepting our casual foods and drinks that stand in the middle of fast-food and fine-dining models. At Park Café, customers are served all day with waiting period between 3 to 5 minutes, making it easy and convenient for busy customers. Its environment and wireless internet offer create friendly atmosphere for friend and business discussions. In conclusion, our idea works and our establishments of 6 outlets mark our success. Last, I’d say, this market segment still has a lot more space.
What are the reasons that Park Café initiates franchise?
First, we’re looking for growth and expansion, and franchising is one of the ways to enable our growth. Another reason is that we create an opportunity for people to start a restaurant business with existing model and minimum risks with our continual support. And through that we promote food industry in Cambodia in order that we have enough capacity to compete with foreign brands in the region.
We’ve seen a number of international brands such as Costa and Starbucks that might be competitors of Park Café. Do you see this competition as a challenge?
It looks competitive but it isn’t that way. Costa Coffee and Starbucks are a type of café model with western style. At Park Café, we specialized in local casual foods and drinks and serve mainly domestic customers with their familiar dishes. Our coffee is adapted from both Asian and western models that suit most people. I think there’s no direct competition now because our pattern is different from theirs. What is more, the biggest market share of restaurant industry is what Park Café is holding.
What do you see about the future of market segment of Park Café?
It’s going to be bigger and bigger. Economy is growing and people are getting busier with their businesses. When these people are getting busier, they don’t have time to go home for lunch and that’s why eating-out trend is growing. Park Café is now serving those busy people.
For franchise offerings, what does Park Café have to prepare for its readiness for this initiative?
First, we’re developing our human resources and advanced technology such as systems that ease and reduce costs and time of our food productions. Second, we’re standardizing our foods in order to conform to HACCP (international food hygiene and safety standard). This builds confidence within our customers. Third, location and facilities are what we work to make it best to serve our customers for a number of needs like eating, working, using a computer, and discussion. Most of our customers may use our place to eat and stay as long as they want instead of their offices. Last, we’re preparing our internal management, transparency, and good cashflow to make our potential franchisees feel confident in our business.
Park Café, Foods & Beverages Co. Ltd., a casual dining restaurant chain locally owned by a group of Cambodian restaurateurs, plans franchise offerings and now is studying the market feasibility and requirements it has to fill. To provide an insight into the franchising initiatives, Park Café’s general manager Chan Sy reveals the plan.
What does Park Café see as an opportunity to initiative franchise offerings?
Business opportunity is seen when there’s a gap to fill. For Park Café, which is a casual dining restaurant chain that serves casual foods along with Asian and Western drinks, the demand is growing stronger among professionals who enjoy dining and networking. Our success is known from our continuous expansions –from one to six outlets–and two more outlets are coming by the end of this year.
When people talk about restaurant franchising, more is often heard of about international brands. For a local name like Park Café, what do you see the possibility of franchise offerings?
That’s the reason why we initiate this idea. First, we’ve seen a growing number of people accepting our casual foods and drinks that stand in the middle of fast-food and fine-dining models. At Park Café, customers are served all day with waiting period between 3 to 5 minutes, making it easy and convenient for busy customers. Its environment and wireless internet offer create friendly atmosphere for friend and business discussions. In conclusion, our idea works and our establishments of 6 outlets mark our success. Last, I’d say, this market segment still has a lot more space.
What are the reasons that Park Café initiates franchise?
First, we’re looking for growth and expansion, and franchising is one of the ways to enable our growth. Another reason is that we create an opportunity for people to start a restaurant business with existing model and minimum risks with our continual support. And through that we promote food industry in Cambodia in order that we have enough capacity to compete with foreign brands in the region.
We’ve seen a number of international brands such as Costa and Starbucks that might be competitors of Park Café. Do you see this competition as a challenge?
It looks competitive but it isn’t that way. Costa Coffee and Starbucks are a type of café model with western style. At Park Café, we specialized in local casual foods and drinks and serve mainly domestic customers with their familiar dishes. Our coffee is adapted from both Asian and western models that suit most people. I think there’s no direct competition now because our pattern is different from theirs. What is more, the biggest market share of restaurant industry is what Park Café is holding.
What do you see about the future of market segment of Park Café?
It’s going to be bigger and bigger. Economy is growing and people are getting busier with their businesses. When these people are getting busier, they don’t have time to go home for lunch and that’s why eating-out trend is growing. Park Café is now serving those busy people.
For franchise offerings, what does Park Café have to prepare for its readiness for this initiative?
First, we’re developing our human resources and advanced technology such as systems that ease and reduce costs and time of our food productions. Second, we’re standardizing our foods in order to conform to HACCP (international food hygiene and safety standard). This builds confidence within our customers. Third, location and facilities are what we work to make it best to serve our customers for a number of needs like eating, working, using a computer, and discussion. Most of our customers may use our place to eat and stay as long as they want instead of their offices. Last, we’re preparing our internal management, transparency, and good cashflow to make our potential franchisees feel confident in our business.