The strategy was designed to boost the company's franchisee base from 150 carts and stands to 350 in the first half of the year and 500 shops with total sales of Bt230 million by the end of this year.

General manager Prasert Janpaisang yesterday said the special sterilising method resulted in a better quality of chicken meat, one suited especially for use in oily chicken rice. The technique will not only reduce production costs, but also produce bigger chickens and allow the company to maintain quality control.

With the new dish, the company can capture more Chinese-Thai customers, Prasert said. At present, consumers prefer eating normal chickens, accounting for 70 per cent of sales, and the rest love capons.

"The innovative feed meal together with closed-operation farms can help the company get a bigger size of chicken and ensure safety," he said, adding that this would benefit both customers and franchisees.

The company has also conducted market research to gain information useful for developing menus, ingredients and franchise management, in preparation for formulating the company's marketing strategy this quarter.