McDonald's To Open 17-20 New Branches Nationwide

[george]

McDonald's on a roll with expansion

BANGKOK: -- McThai, operator of McDonald's restaurants in Thailand, plans aggressive expansion and marketing in the second half of the year, following impressive sales growth in the first six months.

It will open 1720 new branches nationwide in the second half. Ten of them will have drivethrough service, allowing customers to order and take delivery of food in their cars. The rest will be ordinary branches.

CEO Hester Chew said the drivethrough branches would cost about Bt25 million each and the others between Bt13 million and Bt15 million. McThai opened only two new McDonald's branches in the first half.

The company expects a recently launched marketing campaign, timed to coincide with the Beijing Olympics, to boost sales 20 per cent.

Yesterday, it launched a new menu item called Fish 'n' Fries, and the company plans to spend Bt20 million on a marketing promotion called "Rak Krai Hai Kin Pla", which will run through August and September. The new Fish 'n' Fries is a temporary addition to McDonald's two permanent fishburger products and expected to help double its sales of fish burgers.

The expansion and marketing plans follow doubledigit sales growth for McDonald's during the first half, while the rest of the quickservicerestaurant market experienced flat growth.

The major factors contributing to the performance were the addition of new menu items, opening of new McCafe branches, renovation of 14 existing branches, introduction of 24hour delivery and extension of opening hours at many branches to 24 hours, Chew said.

Of total sales, hamburgers contribute 60 per cent, while the rest comes from other food and beverages.

The recent move by McDonald's competitor KFC to market its hamburger products actively after a decade of quiet sales does not worry Chew. He said the competitor's new burgermenu advertisements had helped his firm, because they reminded customers of McDonald's. KFC's entry into hamburger competition may also stimulate the entire market, he said.

-- The Nation 2008-07-31

[Moonrakers]

There's enough McDonalds out there already <deleted>.

More Burger Kings is what we need.

[Jingthing]

The only good thing about this is that it will surely become easier and easier to find farang sized clothing in Thailand. Maybe change the name to Tubbyland?

[jeffer]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

[sibeymai]

A 25 billion baht investment. I don't think so.

[vahack]

i miss taco bell actually.

i thought about opening a drive thru fast food restaurant.

then i realized everybody rides motorcycles lol

[pampal]

definitely need more Burger Kings

[Groongthep]

I was hoping this was a joke.

[angiud]

Aiuto!!!!

[hanno]

There are 31,000 McDonald's worldwide (March 2007), I find it very hard to believe that Thailand alone will add 5% to that. Sure, Thais love all that junk (and the ever-growing waistlines are a good indicator), but 1,720 outlets? Never!

[george]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/31...ss_30079405.php

[seagull]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/31...ss_30079405.php

I don't see where it say's 1720 outlets ? I sure would welcome a couple in Nongkhai.

[PattayaPox]

Absolute nonsense, Thailand currently only has 88 branches of Mcdonalds, i would imagine a typo and it probably meant to say 17-20 as opposed to 1720.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_mcd_...lds-restaurants

[pnustedt]

I don't see where it say's 1720 outlets ?

Second para. fourth word - and it must be true if it's in "The Nation".

[Jingthing]

Go long on fat pants, cholesterol meds, and heart hospitals.

[sylviex]

CEO Hester Chew

Has to chew !!!

[vahack]

could be true or close.

maybe an extra digit lol

we dont have one within 100 km of us.

ton of kfc's tho

[basjke]

There are about 1000 tambons in thailand,so thats almost an average of 2 per tambon.Hard to believe I think.

[LaoPo]

McDonald's and other fast food restaurants should be forbidden.

They kill the health of the children and seriously influence their -health- future...

But, the parents are responsible in the first place.

LaoPo

[Jingthing]

I would like to at least see Thailand ban trans fats in fast food restaurants. They supposedly have a national health care system here. Who is going to pay for all the heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, etc.?

[cloudhopper]

McDonald's on a roll with expansion

BANGKOK: -- McThai, operator of McDonald's restaurants in Thailand, plans aggressive expansion and marketing in the second half of the year, following impressive sales growth in the first six months.

It will open 1720 new branches nationwide in the second half.

McBullshit.

[seagull]

I don't see where it say's 1720 outlets ?

Second para. fourth word - and it must be true if it's in "The Nation".

Oh yeah, I see it now. Thanks pnustedt.

[ilyushin]

Must be a counter concept to be installed in food courts around the country to target fast food zones and get in cheap. The numbers are too high for stand alones and full sized outlets.

[ratcatcher]

McDonald's on a roll with expansion

BANGKOK: -- McThai, operator of McDonald's restaurants in Thailand, plans aggressive expansion and marketing in the second half of the year, following impressive sales growth in the first six months.

It will open 1720 new branches nationwide in the second half.

McBullshit.

happy young diners with expansion rolls.

another satisfied diner with aggressive expansion of his toxic waist.

[NHJ]

<br />definitely need more Burger Kings<br />

i hope they'll do the same price as mac donalds, burger king is way too expensive.

[jeffer]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/31...ss_30079405.php

George, you should be working for the Nation. It's a typo but you don't question it even though it is obviously absurd. Try changing the topic heading to:

McDonald's To Open 17-20 New Branches Nationwide

You owe me a Big Mac

[Hermano Lobo]

Throw away the burger and eat the box. You will never know the diiference !

I'm lovin' it

[thaigene2]

So maybe Meadish_Sweetball or another farang who's mastered Thai can correct me ..

But does this "Rak Krai Hai Kin Pla", translate to: "(I) love those/someone who give (me) fish to eat"??

If so, interesting how that group/cuddly thing is always present in Thai consumerism - another example.

[george]

1,720???

I seriously doubt McDonalds would be opening that many new branches in the whole world, let alone Thailand in only 6 months, not unless they're going to start putting one in each 7-11.

Typo George?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/31...ss_30079405.php

George, you should be working for the Nation. It's a typo but you don't question it even though it is obviously absurd. Try changing the topic heading to:

McDonald's To Open 17-20 New Branches Nationwide

You owe me a Big Mac

Hehe, I have changed the headline, but I thought it was fun. I owe u guys a burger.

[LaoPo]

Maybe the Thai government should think about this too.....a good step in the right direction:

Los Angeles City Council passes fast-food ban

Wed Jul 30, 2008

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to put a one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants in one of the city's poorest areas, marking the latest effort by a municipality to fight rising obesity rates.

If approved by the mayor, the ordinance would put a moratorium on construction of new fast-food outlets in a 32-square-mile (82-sq-km) area of Los Angeles. The measure could also be extended for a second year.

The change would affect about half a million Angelenos living in an area that supporters say already has about 400 fast-food eateries and few grocery stores or other outlets for fresh, healthy food.

The 13-0 vote came about a year after research found that roughly 30 percent of children living in the South Los Angeles, West Adams, Baldwin Hills and Leimert Park areas are obese compared to about 21 percent in the rest of the city.

The moratorium would also be accompanied by moves to encourage more grocery chains and fresh food stores to open for business, supporters said.

Fast-food chains opposed the measure, saying that their industry was being unfairly blamed for causing the childhood obesity epidemic.

"Obesity is principally related to what and how much a consumer eats, not where he eats," Andrew Puzder, Chief Executive of Carl's Jr parent CKE Restaurants Inc, said in a letter to Council President Eric Garcetti.

Andrew Casana, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, said fast-food companies were working to block ordinance or to make amendments to it.

"We have not ruled out lawsuits," Casana said.

Several U.S. cities have adopted measures forcing the restaurant industry to adopt healthier standards. California banned the sale of soft drinks in middle and elementary schools in 2003 and a new law requires fast-food restaurants in New York to post calorie counts above the service counter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/...200&sp=true

LaoPo