Staff writer, with CNA
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will set up a database to help local restaurants and cafes seeking to expand overseas to better understand regulations and consumer habits in China, the US and Europe, an official said yesterday.
“We plan to establish a database to help local food companies search for information, for example, about US laws and regulations and consumer behavior,” Yeh Yun-lung (葉雲龍), director-general of the ministry’s Department of -Commerce, said at an event featuring popular Taiwanese snacks and award-winning cuisine.
The department will launch the plan next year, with China the first country to be featured, he said.
“China shares a similar language and cultural background with us. It is also the first place outside Taiwan where we can easily see success,” Yeh said.
His remarks came amid a growing number of Taiwanese restaurants and cafes — including cafe and bakery chain 85°C (85度C) — that have been extending their presence in China and elsewhere in recent years.
After creating the China database, the government will apply the model to Europe and the US, the official said.
Meanwhile, he cited a lack of management professionals as one of the other major hurdles facing local restaurants and cafes when they are increasing their outlet numbers in other countries.
At the event, Chang Kuo-rong (張國榮), chairman of the board of the Taipei Bakery Association (台北市糕餅公會), said Taiwan has a big pool of specialized bakers because of the competitive local market.
However, he also said that the country now suffers from a shortage of management specialists for overseas operations and urged the department to allocate funds in this regard as part of the database plan.
Earlier this year, the Cabinet approved a plan to add 3,500 food and beverage outlets at home and abroad and to create 10,000 jobs between this year and 2013.
The government also plans to boost the number of international brands to 50 and encourage the private sector to invest a total of NT$2 billion (US$67 million) in the field.
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