Greyhound Café not rushing into Japan

Greyhound Caf?'s managing director, Pornsiri Rojmeta, said yesterday that since Japan's economy was in recession, the firm's partners there had requested the franchise agreement be brought to a halt for the time being.

The company has also put off expansion plans in Thailand. There are seven Greyhound Cafs across the country so far.

Pornsiri explained the economic slowdown had adversely affected the Thai tourism industry too, thus reducing the caf's foreign customers down by 10 per cent. Foreign diners account for 10 per cent of Greyhound's total revenue. Besides, Thais are eating out less often, and the money they spend on dinners at the caf? has risen very slightly from Bt350 to Bt380 per bill, Pornsiri said.

She added that Greyhound would not be able to achieve its 10 per cent increase in revenue as projected though it will keep luring customers with promotional tactics.