Unlike Ssu Hai, which has spread across Taipei City and central and south Taiwan, the original store, World Soybean Milk Magnate, has remained at its location in Yungho for the past 47 years.
It is also one of the few such stores still in the hands of mainlanders from Shandong province. It is hugely popular, with as many as 2,000 customers a day during weekends.
"We were the first 24 hour store in Taiwan, starting from 1975, even earlier than 7-11," said Chuang Tsong-hsi, (莊聰喜) the store's manager.
Despite its popularity, World Soybean Milk Magnate has found it impossible to expand. While Ssu Hai, has over 200 branches, all of these operate independently.
According to Chunag, it is difficult to make soybean milk and its related products standardized products, like those available at MacDonald's.
"We have plans to produce World Soybean Milk in cans for 7-11s or supermarkets. But there is still one problem. That is, how to keep the soybean milk fresh," said Chuang. As soy milk ferments easily, many such products available at supermarkets are loaded with preservatives.
Anyone who has tasted the famous World brand soybean milk might notice that there is a slightly burnt smell. For Chuang, it is this taste that makes the old store proud.
"Besides, the bread sticks and clay oven rolls need to be freshly made and it is still a labor-intensive product. It is not that easy to make it standardize like hamburgers," he said. "I'm afraid our customers still prefer the traditional way."
World Soybean Milk Magnate now has one branch on Mingtsu W. Road, but business there is far less than at the original Yungho store.
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