Fast Food In The Past.

[mojo]

Might be a silly topic this, but what a heck...

I am quite fasinated of the fast food chain industry (not only from a eating point of view). I remember when I first came to Thailand, there was Domino's, Taco Time (one location close to Siam Square), Big boy (close to Thermae), "Old" Subway ( I am aware of the re-entering).

These are the (International chains) once that I remember. I would like to know if there were other players. I think I read somewhere that Long John Silver had some stores around Bangkok some years ago.

I am also eager to hear some insights why the companies (the above mentioned) failed. The Thai customers not ready for it (taste and money), not enough ex-pats. tourists, thai franschisees(spelling....?) could not adopt to this type of business etc.

To add some extra spice to this, we hade the bust-up between Tricon/Pepsico, or whatever the name was back then and Mr Bill Heinicke.

And finally anyone know any rumours of other fast food chains that might be on the way in?

[Ajarn]

A&W still around? Certainly better root beer than the Miranda Root Beer...

And Wendy's? I remember them at Siam Square, and Silom (late 80's)... Then around '96-98' the Silom Square Wendy's closed in name, but it re-emerged as some other theme, and keeping the basic menu intact. I miss those burgers and frosty's...

I live in Chiang Mai, and we have most all of this stuff by now, but it's still a relatively recent change in local eating habits. When I first came here, there were no real farang food restaurants, to my tastes, not even a salad... Make yer' own at home, only.

I don't count those big universal sink-stoppers they call pancakes and serve with yellow grease and sugar something, either... Nor the 'hamburgers' made from hand chopped buffalo or...ham. Or the grilled cheese sandwiches where only the cheese is grilled... -- Gotta million of 'em!

Though I fully enjoy these places, I must admit that the lack of them was one of Chiang Mai's 'charming features' that lured me here. You gotta think harder now when trying to come up with a list of charms in CM...

[Gazza]

Not sure if 'Popeyes' on Silom is still there or not as I rarely venture into the city anymore. Noticed the 'Popeyes' mannequin outside a fast food place in Mae Sot named 'Jumpin'.'

Mid 90's it was reported/rumoured that Harry Ramsden was going to open a Fish 'n' Chip shop. There's one in Hong Kong and the original shop in Leeds(?).

I remember eating baked potatoes in MBK at either 'Santa's' or 'Wendy's'.

Chicken Treat had a few locations here and there, but as quickly as they arrived, they disappeared just as quick. (I suppose you could say that they were 'Fast')

That's about as much as I know.

[PvtDick]

I do miss my Popeye's!

If I'm not mistaken, there was a Wimpy shop in Bangkok a LONG time ago. Shakey's Pizza used to be here, too.

Jack in the Box came and went fairly quickly, as did Long John Silvers.

Then there was the classic Thai chain Hoburger.

[bkkbound04]

off topic a bit.....i always thought harry ramsden's was scottish

as was said to me as a child;

u see what thought did? p'd the bed and blamed it on the blanket :whistle:

[mojo]

I do miss my Popeye's!

If I'm not mistaken, there was a Wimpy shop in Bangkok a LONG time ago.  Shakey's Pizza used to be here, too.

Jack in the Box came and went fairly quickly, as did Long John Silvers.

Then there was the classic Thai chain Hoburger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am too, is pretty sure that there was a Wimpy ( not to far away from Novotel on Siam Square), but I might be totally lost here...

Folks, thanks for the inputs regarding this matter.

Edited January 13, 2005 by mojo

[p_brownstone]

Slightly off topic perhaps but it has always struck me that Thailand is the original "Fast Food" society.

In a large number of Middle Class families both parents work and as a result the evening meal - at least - is purchased from a foodstall and eaten at home with, at best, home cooked rice.

It's also interesting to see how the Thai have phyically changed over the last generation or two as diet has changed (not just from the introduction of Western Fast Food of course) - when I first came here in the early '70's the average Thai was 155 cm and 45 kilos or there abouts, now I have Thai nephews who are taller than me.

Patrick

[Sunbelt Asia]

Hooters will be in Phuket the first part of this year.

Rumors that Heineke has the Quiznos Master franchise and will be launching. Had a sandwich in Detroit Airport last week, it was $10.00 and terrible. Ended up throwing it away. The steak was still raw and has intestines attached to the steak; the melted cheese was all on the paper and not on the sandwich. Terrible is an understatement!

Taco Bell is launching in China. If that does well it may be coming to Thailand.

The reason why a number of brands fail. The makeup of Americans is only 5% of the tourist. Europeans know nothing about Quizno’s. They will have to be the pioneer and persuade people to try it. Same as Wendy’s, Long John Silver, Sonic, Dominos, Arbys, Dennys, Checkers, Hungry Howies, Wienerschnitzel

Most all Americans know these brands, Europeans and Asians do not and will say ... "Who?".

[buadhai]

I am too, is pretty sure that there was a Wimpy ( not to far away from Novotel on Siam Square), but I might be totally lost here...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was going to post that I thought I remembered a Wimpy Burger somewhere; maybe Silom? But, I think you're right. It was Silom. This is back in the late 80's, right?

[Gazza]

Mojo, this thread may be of interest to you.

'Favourite Food Franchise' thread

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=20110&st=0

[farangene]

I was told by the people who own the Mexican Restaurant on Silom/Soi 6 that there had been a Taco Bell at Siam about 20 years ago. They surmised that Thais just were not ready for Mexican food at that time but their rest. has been around about 10 yrs. It is not very good in my opinion. I am still looking for some decent Mexican food in Bangkok. So far Rembrandt Hotel (Senor Picos) is the only one that is half way decent but relatively expensive

I do remember the Wendy's on Silom until the mid 1990s. It was never as busy as McD's or Burger King when I was there.

I think the best hamburger in Thailand by far is Mike's Hamburger stand in Chiang Mai (actually it is not a chain and run by an Amercian from San Diego). You do have to tell the "chefs" not to put the cheese on the burger too early else it melts and doesn't taste like cheese anymore.

Tee Sud Isan Inter on Soi Rangnam near Victory Monumnent (near BTS exit 2) is the best burger in Bangkok by far. They also do an Isan burrito that is very good.

[pluto_manibo]

There was a mexican fast food restaurant, in front of Ambassador hotel on sukhumvit, and a wendys' next to it which was all done up but never opened. The Taco place (can't remember the franchise ), was good but always empty..it lasted less then a year I think.

Someone should move in on the Pizza market because, The"Hut" and the"company" are absolute crap....

The Fast food franchises that have disappeared in Pattaya over the last 10 yrs are, Dairy Queen, A&W, Popeyes', Big Boy, Chicken Treat....

Who is next?

They should open a Dennys', good breakfasts!!

[chonabot]

Europeans know nothing about Quizno’s. They will have to be the pioneer and persuade people to try it. Same as Wendy’s, Long John Silver, Sonic, Dominos, Arbys, Dennys, Checkers, Hungry Howies, Wienerschnitzel

Most all Americans know these brands, Europeans and Asians do not and will say ... "Who?".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Domino's and Wendy' are fairly widespread in the Uk at least.

Does Hotdog/Hamburger Denmark still cause indigestion in Pattaya these days?

Edited January 14, 2005 by chonabot

[johnnyk]

Does Hotdog/Hamburger Denmark still cause indigestion in Pattaya these days?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My info is that it causes the shites at least as often.

[Sunbelt Asia]

do remember the Wendy's on Silom until the mid 1990s. It was never as busy as McD's or Burger King when I was there.

That is another reason why most franchises that are #3 are not that successful or at all.

If you have limited funds and want to go out to a fast food place. Where would you want to be seen? At the #1 place or in their minds the #2?

Seems to be room for only one or two big players and the market share in Thailand .

Chicken... #1 KFC #2 Chester Grill

Hamburger...#1 McDonalds #2 Burger King

Pizza... Used to be Pizza Hut. Now its Pizza Company with 90% market share. #2 Pizza Hut

Subs... Subway :-)

Donut... #1 Dunkin Donut #2 Mister Donut

Ice Cream ... #1Dairy Queen #2 Baskin Robbins

Pretzels... #1 Auntie Anns. #2 none that I know of.

Coffee... #1 Starbucks. #2 Coffee World has made some inroads here in Thailand.

You would be VERY hard pressed to guess who is #3. Odds are #3 won't be around much longer in Thailand!

I think the best hamburger in Thailand by far is Mike's Hamburger stand in Chiang Mai (actually it is not a chain and run by an Amercian from San Diego). You do have to tell the "chefs" not to put the cheese on the burger too early else it melts and doesn't taste like cheese anymore.

I have heard the same. This guy has a great hamburger. He won't franchise. Worried the franchisee would screw up his name.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[Sunbelt Asia]

Interesting KFC failed here in Thailand at first. They relaunched several years later and now have more than 300 restaurants in Thailand. In China, this is the news today...

Demand for KFC Soaring in China

Sun Jan 16, 4:13 PM ET Business - AP

By BRUCE SCHREINER, Associated Press Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - China's relentless appetite for the colonel's chicken has KFC on a building boom in the world's most populous country, with 1,200 locations, soaring profits and a menu that mixes in bamboo shoots and lotus roots.

At a time when its sales in the United States are struggling, KFC is dominating even rival McDonald's in China and turning the goateed visage of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders into a ubiquitous symbol of America.

"We are really positioned as a part of the fabric of life in China," said David Novak, chairman and chief executive of Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc., parent company of KFC.

Yum's operating profits in China exceeded $200 million in 2004 — more than half the company's burgeoning international profits. And the pace of 275 locations opened in the country last year is expected to be matched in 2005.

Sam Su, president of Yum's China division, called China "the ultimate marketplace." He predicted that as the Chinese economy grows, it will someday surpass the number of KFC restaurants in the United States, where there are 5,453 stand-alone locations and 1,277 multibrand outlets featuring other Yum brands.

"In many parts of China, the local municipal governments actually view the arrival of a KFC as a sign of the city coming of age," Su said in a phone interview from China.

A restaurant industry analyst said KFC's recipe for success in China includes a solid business plan guided by a management team intact for years.

"For many companies, China is a hope and a dream — maybe a very realistic hope and a dream — but for Yum it's reality today," said Joe Buckley with Bear Stearns & Co. "It's an important piece of the company that still has plenty of growth potential ahead of it."

Yum's China operations represented about 15 percent of the company's operating profits in 2004, a figure expected to reach about 18 percent this year, Buckley said.

He said Chinese fast-food consumers' preference for chicken has contributed to KFC's success: "It's an advantage to be the chicken brand, given that scenario."

KFC consumers in China can dig into buckets of original recipe chicken, but KFC has tailored some dishes specifically to Chinese tastes. There's a twister sandwich styled after the way Peking duck is served, but with fried chicken inside along with cucumber shreds. Instead of cole slaw, which never caught on in China, customers can order seasonal vegetables. In spring, it's bamboo shoots; in summer, lotus roots are on the menu. And in colder months, there's rice porridge and winter soup.

Other Yum brands also are vying for Chinese customers. The company opened at least 39 Pizza Hut restaurants in China last year, for a total of 146 outlets, and Su predicts a bright future for the chain.

"With the rising income and economic growth, there's no reason to doubt that Pizza Hut will be a huge brand," he said.

Taco Bell is testing a casual dining format in China, and Yum is even dabbling in Chinese fast-food with one test restaurant in Shanghai.

"We are working on a model that hopefully can work across China," Su said of Yum's Chinese fare. "If that happens, it's going to be a huge business opportunity."

But KFC is clearly at the forefront of Yum's expansion. More than 100 KFC restaurants have sprung up in both Beijing and Shanghai. The chain has spread to every Chinese province and region except Tibet. KFC restaurants have reached 280 Chinese cities, compared to just 20 cities in 2000. Yum's revenues in China topped $1 billion last year, up from $261 million in 1998.

Elsewhere around the globe, KFC opened about 50 new restaurants last year in Britain, another high-growth market for Yum, raising its total chicken outlets to 660.

Yum had operating profits of $116 million in Britain and $55 million in Asian markets excluding China last year, with KFC representing 60 percent of the amount.

In the United States, KFC has struggled in a crowded fast-food sector, including burger chains that have added chicken to their menus. KFC's domestic same-store sales have trended mostly downward the past two years, though Novak predicts a 1 percent to 2 percent uptick in 2005.

In China, KFC has outpaced rival McDonald's Corp., which has its own expansion plans. McDonald's has more than 600 restaurants in China and plans to open about 100 more this year, comparable to 2004. Its long-range plans call for 1,000 restaurants in China by 2008.

"We're very bullish on China," said spokesman Walt Riker. "We're aggressively expanding the business."

McDonald's sells a "significant amount of chicken" in China, but also offers beef, pork and fish, giving Chinese customers "unique choice and variety," Riker said.

Most KFC restaurants in China are either company-owned or joint ventures involving the chain. The company is looking to recruit more franchisees, Su said, but added, "we are expanding faster than we are able to find good franchisees."

Novak said Yum has a big head start over its competitors in China and intends to build on that advantage. "We are truly walking the talk in terms of taking this market," he said.

With its growth in China, the brand has come a long way since Sanders perfected his original recipe, with a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. The colonel's face now is displayed on signs and KFC packages across China, though hungry customers might be fuzzy about exactly who he is.

"I think most people would recognize he's an old gentleman who developed some great recipe of food and was the founder of KFC," Su said.

www.sunbeltasia.com