Morton’s The Steakhouse Taipei, an upscale US restaurant brand aims to grow its business this year as it gains popularity among Taiwanese diners, industry analysts said yesterday.
The steakhouse is the local outlet of the US restaurant chain, which operates 81 steakhouses in the US, Hong Kong, China and elsewhere.
“We have seen stable growth in customers and sales since our entry into the local market in late 2015,” sales and marketing manager Joyce Shih (施宛君) said.
Top-quality food and service account for the restaurant’s growth, she said, adding that its view of Taipei 101 is also a selling point.
Located on the 45th floor of Breeze Department Store’s Xinyi branch, the restaurant is aiming to outperform well-established rivals such as Lawry’s Prime Rib Restaurants and Steakhouses and Ruth’s Chris Steak House by offering personalized service, Shih said.
Guests can have their name printed on the menu for specific occasions and go home with photographs taken by the restaurant’s staff, Shih said.
The strategy explains why Morton’s has grown into a popular venue for engagement, birthday and anniversary celebrations, as well as corporate parties, she said.
The average lunch costs between NT$2,000 and NT$3,000 (US$68 and US$102) per person, while dinners cost NT$1,000 more, she said, adding there is no minimum charge.
All dishes are a la carte and are large enough for two or three people to share, she added.
Taiwanese are fond of steak, with the market estimated at NT$18 billion a year, Ministry of Economic Affairs data showed.
About 94 percent of the nation’s beef is imported from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Paraguay, government data showed.
US beef imports total 109,522 tonnes per year and Australia imports 43,099 tonnes, while Taiwan only produces about 6,800 tonnes, the data showed.
Morton’s is already 50 percent booked for Valentine’s Day on Wednesday next week when the restaurant is collaborating with Le Meridien Hotel Taipei to provide the highest-spending guest a free night at the five-star hotel, Shih said.
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