SLRT Ltd, which runs all of the US-based company's steakhouses here, will start with its "Salad To Go" menu hoping the move will expand its customer base by 5-10 per cent and increase the frequency of visitors. Thailand is the second country to launch "Salad To Go", after Australia last year, said Nongchanok Stananonth, marketing director for SLRT.

"Salad To Go" customers receive a box, which they can fill at the salad bar. The boxes are then weighed at the cash registers to calculate the price. With each box, customers receive a cup of soup of their choice.

The salad box itself costs Bt10 and the minimum price for a take-out salad is Bt50.

Nongchanok said take-home salads allow Sizzler to reach customers who would not normally visit the restaurant.

It is hoping its regular customers buy the salads at first, but because the boxes can hold enough food for more than one person, Sizzler is hoping customers will share the salad with friends and family.

Tapping into the loyalty of existing customers is a better way to create interest in the new service than advertising, Nongchanok said.

To build awareness of the new scheme, Sizzler will display "Salad To Go" posters at all of its branches and also have presenters on hand to promote the service.

The company conducted trials of Salad To Go last month at five branches and found that 70-80 per cent of customers who tried it came back and bought it again later. This month, it will expand the idea to 20 branches, including one in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

SLRT expects only modest returns from Salad To Go, but sees it as an important part of its strategy to build loyalty among its customers, who due to the recent economic situation have been forced to tighten their belts.

Despite a general slowdown in consumption nationwide, Sizzler's sales are still growing, according to the company. Average spending per head at Sizzler's 28 branches is a little over Bt100 at lunchtime and Bt200 at dinnertime.

Last year, it attracted four million visitors, of which 40,000 were members. It expects the number

of visitors to increase 10 per cent this year and its membership to increase by 25 per cent.

So far this year, the company has opened two branches. It plans to open two more before the end of the year.

Each branch costs between

Bt18 million and Bt20 million to open and covers about 200 square metres.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation