Wok in a Box's MD Alan Pan tells QSR Media how they plan to become "first choice" for asian inspired fast casual cuisine
Since taking over the Wok in a Box franchise just over 12 months ago, Alan Pan and has team have instituted many changes to their 30+ stores. In this exclusive interview we hear about what sets them apart against other asian-inspired QSR's, how social media is working for the business, and what their 12-24th month plans are.
We asked Alan the following questions:-
1) What makes wokinabox unique amongst the asian inspired category?
Inspired by the aromas and tastes of asia, the wokinabox concept is built on our chef’s cooking restaurant quality Asian cuisine fresh to order with a takeaway or casual dine-in convenience.
We have a clear brand position as “Fresh Asian”, which we stand for in everything we do, based on our distinctive strengths and characteristics.
“Fresh” because we use real ingredients like vegetables and meats, and cook for each customer right in front of them. “Asian” because we offer a variety of authentic but exciting meals from 5 Asian food cultures - Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese.
There are also a range of significant characteristics that we live and breathe. Some of these include being “genuine” (focused on food), encouraging, “exploration and discovery” (inviting customers to experience Asian food cultures), “safe” (hygienically prepared) and most importantly “taste”.
2) 2 months ago you launched your Facebook page, what kind of response have you got from this?
In March 2011, we appointed a social media company to manage and revive our existing Facebook page, but also to introduce the brand to other various forms of social media – Twitter, Youtube and Linkedin.
Our Facebook page was given a complete overhaul. We wanted to present the page in a clean, simplistic manner, making it more user friendly.
The response from Facebook users and our customers alike has been overwhelming. We have experienced a significant increase in the number of ‘Likes’, by purely and simply engaging our customers on a personal level!
We have started using the page as mechanism for obtaining market research. We have been able to determine that 34% of our customers are aged between 25-34, and of that, 23.5% were female, followed closely by 18-24 years. We have incentivised our customers to provide us with information pertaining to the brand and our product!
3) what changes have you implemented in last 12 months?
Firstly, with an abundance of choice for customers, having strong brand awareness is a key driver for our business. So, although our core menu continues to remain the same, our strategy has been to introduce quarterly promotions – Japanese Bento Boxes, Seafood Selection & Soup, encouraging our customers to
delve into the many tastes of Asia and thus, increasing brand loyalty!
Secondly, wokinabox is a vibrant brand based on a fresh approach to Asian food. This is reflected in our store designs which incorporate bright colours and modern decor with clean, open plan kitchens. We have been progressively updating our current store designs over the last 12 months to reflect our brand image, with the notion that all stores will be completed by the end of June 2012.
Finally, we recently entered into a contractual agreement with an overseas investor, who has purchased the wokinabox naming rights. It is envisaged that the first 3 stores will be open later this year in UAE, with the USA to follow.
4) What are your 12-24 month goals?
Our goal over the next 12 months is to develop strong brand awareness with our customers and ensure that wokinabox is top of mind and the ‘first choice’ when purchasing Asian cuisine. To ensure success, an aggressive marketing strategy using print, radio, the internet and social media has been developed which will commence in July. Stay tuned!!!
Another important goal for the business and its employees is to better understand the contents of each menu item – nutrition. Today, customers are becoming more and more conscious about what their eating. Diseases such as celiac have become more prominent and as a result, it is our responsibility as chefs in the fast food industry to cater to the needs of the ever-changing society. We are currently working with a nutritionist, who is analysing every aspect of our menu and once complete, an up-to-date nutritional guide will be available for customers both in store and online. Armed with this information, our employees will be able to help customers make better decisions about what they can and cannot eat, which in turn will lead to greater customer satisfaction, increased loyalty and subsequently, increased brand awareness.
