La Kaffa International Co Ltd (六角國際事業), which operates seven food and beverage brands in more than 20 nations, yesterday said it plans to introduce two new restaurant chains in Taiwan this year.
The company’s best-known franchise brands include Chatime (日出茶太) bubble tea stores, Duan Chun Zhen Beef Noodles (段純貞牛肉麵) and Japanese pork loin restaurant chain Wagokoro Tonkatsu Anzu (銀座杏子日式豬排).
Through collaboration with China’s Gangtan Mingshan Restaurant Co (甘棠明善餐飲集團), La Kaffa is to launch a new brand featuring roasted fish, Tan Yu (探魚), in the second quarter of this year.
“We are also planning to introduce Osaka Ohsho (大阪王將) to Taiwanese customers,” spokesman Adam Lu (盧廷當) said by telephone.
Osaka Ohsho is a Japanese cuisine brand with more than 300 outlets around the world.
La Kaffa aims to open at least two Tan Yu restaurants and three Osaka Ohsho outlets in the nation this year, Lu said.
The company also plans to open six Duan Chun Zhen stores and two Wagokoro Tonkatsu Anzu outlets, Lu said.
The quick expansion follows La Kaffa’s new business strategy to increase revenue generated by its restaurants and diversify its product portfolio.
The company was established in 2004 with its first takeout cafe and started its restaurant business in 2014.
Revenue generated by restaurants makes up about 30 percent of the company’s total revenue, while revenue from tea stores contributes about 70 percent, company data showed.
“We hope to increase revenue contribution from restaurants to 50 percent this year,” Lu told the Taipei Times.
The company is also considering introducing Duan Chun Zhen to foreign customers, he said, without providing a schedule.
La Kaffa is also seeking opportunities to cooperate with more international partners to continue expanding its Chatime stores overseas, he said.
Southeast Asia is seen as the company’s next focus, due to better market acceptance for Taiwanese style drinks, Lu said, citing Indonesia as the largest foreign customer.
La Kaffa also operates Chatime stores in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.
The company posted cumulative revenue of NT$2.09 billion (US$66.6 million) last year, representing a 26.81 percent increase from the previous year.
The growth can be attributed to continuous outlet expansion, La Kaffa said.
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