"Hawker Chan" opened the latest branch in Bangkok

Editorial staff

"Hawker Chan," the legendary Michelin-starred chicken rice from Singapore by Chef Chan Hon Meng, opened the latest branch in Bangkok, located at "ICON 56," a community mall on Soi Saimai 56, featuring a new concept feels like sitting in a bustling marketplace.

Panupong Sowarattanapong, managing director of Inter Unity Group Co, said that "Hawker Chan” officially opened its ICON56 branch recently at the ICON56. The restaurant spans a total area of 120 square meters with seating for approximately 70 customers.

The company plans to open 3-4 new Hawker Chan branches annually for the next five consecutive years with confident in the growth potential due to the less intense competition compared to Japanese and Korean cuisines.

“We chose to expand into a restaurant business because I used to involve in a community mall project, finding suitable business partners those fit with our mall. With great ideas and business mindset of several partners, they inspired me to decide to venture into the food business," he said.

Moreover, Mr. Panupong said his father's belief that selecting long-lasting business partners for its community mall doesn't necessarily require large brands but rather enduring partnerships was more important.

“If our partners grow, we grow. I see the potential for Hawker Chan to continue growing. Given the opportunity, I wanted to seize it. After discussing with the owner of Hawker Chan in Singapore, I saw their business mindset aligned with ours,” he said.

Moreover, considering that food is an essential part of everyone's life and there are not as many Chinese restaurants in Thailand compared to Japanese or Korean ones, Mr. Panupong therefore decides to have his own food brand, especially one like Hawker Chan.

Hawker Chan provide 40-50 of freshly made dishes such as award-winning Soya Sauce Chicken Rice, Braised Pork, Crispy Pork, Pork Ribs, noodles, rice and more with the chefs undergo excellent training under chef Chan Hon Meng. One must-try and highly acclaimed menu item is the Soya Sauce Chicken rice, ranked as the number one delicious dish in Singapore and awarded a Michelin star for four consecutive years, along with the Bib Gourmand for five consecutive years. Its popularity is attributed to the tender chicken meat and the rich, flavorful taste soaked in the original soy sauce recipe. Hawker Chan is recognized as a Michelin-starred restaurant, a must-visit for international tourists and locals traveling to Singapore.

“In Thailand, the prices per meal of Hawker Chan are reasonable, making it accessible to a wide range of customers. We believe that Hawker Chan will be the preferred choice for Chinese food enthusiasts," said Mr. Panupong.

The company aims to open two more Hawker Chan branches within this year in strategically these potential locations, including community malls, shopping centers, and petrol stations, to provide convenient access for everyone.

Additionally, the company also plans to open 3-4 Hawker Chan branches annually, each covering an area of 100 square meters. The primary target audience is families. Currently, the average spending per person at Hawker Chan is around 300 baht, but the company expects that introducing new menu items every three months will help increase the average spending to 400 baht per person in the future.

Angel Chung, the chairperson of Hawker Chan's board of directors, expresses the company's ambition to provide a global audience with the opportunity to savor its cuisine, eliminating the necessity of traveling to Singapore. Despite the substantial value of the Thai food market, estimated at 480 million baht and marked by diverse restaurants offering various cuisines nationwide, Chung acknowledges competition across all business sectors.

While acknowledging the availability of diverse food options, she remains assured that there is a persistent demand for novel and alternative choices among customers. Ms Chung aspires for Hawker Chan to be the preferred choice when customers seek authentic Singaporean cuisine.