Yai Thai to spread wings overseas
Yai Thai Restaurant, the oldest and most successful Thai restaurant in Australia, aims to take its cuisine international by inviting franchisees to expand its business in Australia and other countries.
The franchisees will be managed by Yai Franchising Australia Pvt Ltd which is exploring master franchisees in targeted countries such as China, Japan, the US, the UK, Singapore and South Africa. The company held meetings in Bangkok yesterday to form business alliances with Thai investors. Kanittha Ninubon, owner and director of the company, said some 130 franchise outlets would be opened in Australia. The company has not set a deadline to achieve the goal, saying that one or two franchise outlets would be opened early next year. It expects to open between 10 and 13 new eateries a year. Her love for Thai food inspired Kanittha, who lives in Australia, to open a restaurant 26 years ago. Currently, there is only one Yai Thai, located in Sydney. Although there are more than 100 Thai restaurants in Australia, few of them serve authentic Thai dishes, she claimed. "We believe that our franchisees will get a warm welcome from customers because we will provide them authentic Thai fare," she said. Several enterprises in Thailand and overseas have shown interest in becoming franchisees. Opening a 50-80 seat restaurant would cost franchisees between 390,925 Australian dollars (Bt12 million) and A$650,000 (Bt20.3 million), the company estimates. Its franchise fee of A$38,500 covers a five-year contract, and it includes the cost of equipment, and chef training. Franchisees will also be required to pay a 5-per-cent marketing and advertising fee per year during the life of their contract. It also charges a leasing fee of about A$1,000 a week for a 50-seat restaurant. She explained that every branch of the restaurant chain would have the same, high-tech equipment as the main branch, such as blast-chillers (freeze and preserve food refrigerators), ovens, computers, steamers, food cabinets and slicing machines. The company's flagship eatery, in Surry Hill, New South Wales, sports 200 seats and brings in A$20,000-A$60,000 a week. Kanittha said franchisees would be able to recover their investments within three to five years, depending on their management skills and locations. They would be serving traditional Thai dishes such as Chor Muang - a sweet dumpling, and Look Chup, a dessert. Kanittha said the company expected to be in business in Thailand within the next few years. A Yai Thai prototype will be set up in Bangkok soon for those who want to be franchisees.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation
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