China’s fast food business booming
IN the early 90s, Malacca-born Vincent Choo swore he would never return to China after the first business project which he headed there fizzled out.
Innovest Bhd, which then held the Shakey’s Pizza franchise, sent Choo to Beijing to establish the first Shakey’s outlet in China. Unfortunately, the venture hit a snag and two years of effort came to naught.
The company chose premises recommended by its local partner, but later it found out it could not get electricity supply to the store.
“We were told nothing could be done after we had spent on renovation and new equipment.
That unpleasant experience painted a very bad picture of doing business in China to Choo, confirming the negative perception of the communist nation that he had even before he set foot in Beijing.
He told himself he would never come back again.
Nonetheless, he relented a few months later when Sam Su, president of Yum! Restaurants China, offered him a general manager post, taking care of provincial operations.
“My boss kept telling me that China was the place to be in the future,” recalled Choo.
Though he accepted the job, he was still sceptical about China then. But now he thinks he made the right move.
Choo, now strategic alliance and new business development director of Yum! Restaurants China, has witnessed Yum! group’s success in China, and has also contributed to it.
And Choo hopes to see more Malaysian companies coming to grab a share of this growing pie.
“The fast food market here is big and is growing.
“Competition is getting strong, but there is enough business for everyone,” he said.
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