THAI TAE COOKING RESTAURANT
THAI TAE COOKING RESTAURANT

BUSINESS OVERVIEW
Introduction
According to a cuisine popularity survey undertaken by the Kellog School of Management (2004), Thai food is ranked at number four after Italian, French and Chinese cuisine. Thai food also proves to be a popular ethnic cuisine among western respondents according to another survey conducted by the Sasin Institute, in which it ranked sixth.
Thai government has also played an important role to boost Thai food in the international arena by promoted “The Kitchen of the World” project. This project aims to increase the number of Thai restaurants overseas and the government encourages Thai investors to invest in Thai restaurants overseas and provides support in the form of training, information and financial loans
This project aims to support Thai investor to invest the number of Thai restaurants overseas. Information, training and financial loans are among of encouragements that will be provided by Thai government (Sunanta, 2005).
As a conqueror and a colonist in the ancient time, The United Kingdom is known as a country that have more than one nation or ethnic groups with different culture, language, religious, and behavioral. A dynamic growth in the varieties of ethnic foods was influenced by the diverse ethnic and cultural groups in society (Jamal, 1996; Verbeke & Lopez, 2005)
Asian food such as Chinese, Indian, and Thai has long been the UK’s preferred out – of –home cuisine. Retail sales of Thai foods increased to an estimated £64.5m in 2009, a rise of 5.7% from 2008 and an increase of more than a fifth (21%) since 2005 (See appendix1). Thailand has increased in popularity as a long-haul tourist destination, and this has had some effect on the popularity of Thai food (Key Note, 2011). According to ‘run a restaurant’ website, UK customers have become more discerning and more concerned with the ‘authenticity’ of their dining experience. Furthermore, Thai produce sold in the UK tends to be more authentic than Indian or Chinese foods. It may be seen as a healthier compare to Chinese and Indian foods. This said, the popularity of the Thai sector is still developing and has not yet reached its peak” (Key Note, 2011) Thai cuisine has long been known for its high nutritional value and its harmonious blend of flavours. Several major Thai ingredients used in Thai cuisine are claimed to possess beneficial compounds for human health (CNN, 2001)
As per all these reports, it indicates that people are increasingly becoming interested in the light, fresh and fragrant flavours of Thai Cooking. The demand of Thai cuisine in UK is gradually increase as people become more concerned with nutrition and authenticity in food. The market share of Thai cuisine is growing as dominant markets (Chinese and Indian) are getting less popular. Therefore, this is an opportunity to gain a maximum profit from investing in Thai cuisine.

Business Description
The restaurant will be launched under the name “Thai Tae Cooking”. The word “Tae” in Thai means “Real, Purify and Authentic”.
The restaurant’s main feature is to provide an authentic Thai food. Every dish that comes out of Thai Tae’s kitchen will be made with original, strong and fresh Thai flavours. Chefs and ingredients will be sourced from Thailand to make sure that customers experience real Thai food that could not be found anywhere else but at Thai Tae Cooking restaurant only. The other feature of the restaurant will be a Thai cooking demonstration. Thai Tae will serve customer an authentic Thai culinary and cultural experience. Customers will learn about Thailand such as its customs, bits of the Thai language, interesting places in Thailand and even Thai recipes via computer touch screens. The computer touch screen that installed at the table will provide a truly unique culinary experience. The capacity of the restaurant will be 70 seats.

Mission Statement
Mission Statement – To serve Authentic Thai food as well as disseminate Thai culture.
Vision Statement – To be the first Thai restaurant to gain 5 stared from the Michelin guide; and to be the best authentic Thai restaurant in London.

Products and Services
Food
Thai Tae Cooking restaurant will serve starters, soups, main course and traditional Thai desserts. Every dish is cooked with high nutrition ingredients such as lemon grass, lime leave and galangal which are good for health.
Drink
It will provide a wide range of drinks, alcoholic and non – alcoholic. For alcoholic drinks, the restaurant will serve Thai beer such as Singha beer and Chang Beer. It will also have an extensive wine list comprising both red and white. For non – alcoholic drink, the restaurant will serve a wide range of soft drinks. Thai Tae Cooking restaurant will also provide Thai special drinks such as young fresh coconut juice and Thai milk tea.
Service
The restaurant will have Thai waiter service and Thai decoration to make customer feels like they are in Thailand. Furthermore, computer touch screens will be installed at every table to give customers a great new Thai experience. Main features of the computer touch screen will be basic Thai language lessons for ordering and offering pleasantries, attractive places in Thailand and Thai cooking lessons.
At dinner time, the restaurant will have a Thai cooking demonstration, so customers will learn how to cook Thai food while enjoying Thai Tae’s delicious dishes.
It will also provide a take – away and delivery services within 5 miles radius.
Private party services will also be available.

Operational Plan
Opening time:
Monday to Friday: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am – 11:30 pm
Location:
The restaurant will be located at Dean Street, Soho in London. About 15 minutes on foot from Oxford Street. Many theatres, ethnic cuisines and bars are located around the area. The nearest tube is Tottenham Court Road Station, Leicester Square station and Piccadilly Circus station.
Address:
19 Dean Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 3NE

SWOT Analysis
Strength
* Serves authentic Thai food * Be the first restaurant in London that give Thai – cooking lesson * Located in heart of Soho – easily accessible * High – skilled staff
Weakness
* High overheads as most of ingredients and even the chef will be imported from Thailand
Opportunity
* Being supported by Thai Government * Social trend that Thai food become more popular * Located in tourist catchment area * People more concerned about healthy food * The habit of eating out is increasing
Threat
* The new British legislation that bans 12 types of vegetables being imported from Thailand * Immigration rule is tightening. Will have difficulty recruiting staff from Thailand

BUSINESS STRATEGIES According to Lu and Fine (1995), consumer perception has changed gradually. Authenticity in food has become more popular increasingly. Thai Tae Cooking restaurant will use this opportunity to gain a maximum market share by adopting a differentiation strategy. The restaurant will capture the authenticity of Thai food through the combination of high – quality ingredients and high – skilled chef. However, Many Thai restaurants claim that they serve authentic Thai food. Thai Tae Cooking restaurant’s signature taste will differentiate itself from its rivals. Beside authenticity, the restaurant also provides customers with a cultural experience through cooking lessons and Thai – style decorations. This strategy was adopted by Blue Elephant Royal Thai cuisine, London. Blue Elephant used the selling point of “authenticity” to promote their restaurant when they opened their first branch in Brussels, Belgium (Blueelephant, 2010)
Moreover, Thai Tae Cooking restaurant will use technology to provide information about Thai cultural through computer touch screens. The computer touch screens will be installed at every table so customers will be able to pass time exploring Thailand with their fingertips while waiting for their food. This touch screen technology is also installed at the Inamo restaurant. In fact, the Inamo restaurant uses the touch screen technology to provide customers with entertainment such as battleship and providing a selection of different ‘place mat’ images and videos to complement the mood at the table. (Wired, 2010)

MARKETING PLAN
Target Market
Thai Tae Cooking restaurant aims to target middle or upper – middle class customers, age 25 - 60, who seek an authenticity Thai dining experience. The restaurant also aims to attract people who fancy and want to learn more about Thai cooking and Thai cultural as well.
Another target group that should not be underestimated is an office worker around the area and tourist as London is one of the most attractive place in the world.
Product
Thai Tae Cooking restaurant serve authentic Thai food together with culture. Every dish that comes out of Thai Tae’s kitchen will be made with imported original ingredients for strong and fresh Thai flavour. Moreover, the restaurant will also provide customers a Thai cultural experience and Thai cooking lesson via computer touch screens.
The restaurant’s signature taste and warm atmosphere will make customers feel like they are in Thailand.
Price
The restaurant will adopt a high price strategy as it provides customer a high quality product. This high price strategy will give restaurant a good brand image. However, the price will not far above from the competitors in order to avoid the consumers’ perception as a not worth paying. Starter price range will cost from £5 - £10, Main course price range will cost from £12 - £25 and Thai dessert will cost at £8. However, £3 per person charges will be applicable during dinner’s cooking demonstration time.

Place
Soho, an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London, is named as an entertainment district, replete with theatres, bars, night clubs, restaurants and a film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has been transformed and it is now predominantly a fashionable district of upmarket restaurants and media offices (Johnson, 2006)
Soho, one of the tourist attraction areas, is famously known as ethnic cuisine area among the oriental food seeker. The restaurant will be located at 19 Dean Street in Soho. As it is right next to Soho theatre, the restaurant will gain a customer from the theatre’s audience. Many passer – by will be attracted as Dean Street is one of many streets that connect Oxford street and China town.
Promotion
Public Relations
On the grand opening day, the restaurant will invite reporters, columnists and writers from local newspapers, restaurant magazines e.g. Time-out and online restaurant guides e.g. ‘London – eating.co.uk’ website. Celebrities, food commentators, Thai food specialist and famous gourmets will also be invited to the grand opening as it will draw public attention. The theme for the grand opening will be “Thai in your heart”. The restaurant will be decorated with Thai silk, Thai style wood carving and sculpture. The main feature of grand opening day will be Thai food demonstration, food taster and exploitation of Thailand via computer touch screens.
Advertising
Soft Sell strategy will be applied as food is not a product that you sell just one time. The more the return customer rate, the more restaurant will be successful. Thai Tae Cooking restaurant will pay for a visit from television restaurant guide programme and television cooking programme that invite the restaurant’s executive chef to show in their programme.

Word of mouth marketing
Word of mouth is an effective strategy that will lead the restaurant in gaining a market share. Nowadays in this cyber world, Word of mouth has taken place via blogs, social network services (such as Twitter, Facebook and Hi5) and online restaurant guide. All of these online social networks play an important role in connecting people around the world and allowing people to express their feeling and attitudes. In order to generate positive word of mouth, high quality ingredients and delicious taste will lead restaurant in giving maximum satisfaction to customers.
Website
The restaurant will buy a banner tag and make a discount deal with popular restaurant guide websites such as Viewlondon.co.uk, Lastminute.com and London – eating.co.uk.
Leaflet / flyer
10,000 pieces of the restaurant flyer will be distributed within a 5 mile radius of the restaurant. Its content will showcase the menu, the features of the touch screen computer, and Thai culture.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Providing customers with a combination of authentic Thai food, Thai – Cooking lesson and a Thai cultural experience will make Thai Tae Cooking restaurant gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Furthermore, the new touch screen technology will make customers willing to pay a premium price for their dining experience. It is also located in the heart of Soho (See appendix2), where is known as a tourist attraction with a heavy human traffic flow. The transportation is easily accessible as it is near a bus stop and 3 underground stations (See appendix2).

REFERENCE
Jamal, A. 1996, Acculturation: the symbolism of ethnic eating among contemporary British consumers, British Food Journal, vol. 98, no.10, pp. 14 – 28.
Johnson, S. 2006, The Ghost Map (The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World), Riverhead Books, New York, pp.299.
Lu, S. and Fine, G. 1995, The presentation of ethnic authenticity, Sociological Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 535 – 553.
Sunanta, S. 2005, The globalization of Thai cuisine. Paper presented at the Canada Council for Southeast Asian Studies Conference, York University, October 14-16.
Verbeke, W. and Lopéz, G. P. 2005. Ethnic food attitudes and behaviour among Belgians and Hispanics living in Belgium. British Food Journal, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 823-840.
Keynote 2011, Ethnic Foods, Key Note, pp. 18.
Blueelephant 2011, Information, viewed 18 Feb. 2011, <http://www.blueelephant.com /interiors.html>.
CNN 2001, Health benefits of Thai soup under study, viewed 12 Feb. 2011, <http://europe.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/03/thai.soup/>.
Runarestaurant 2011, Restaurant Trends in the United Kingdom, viewed 12 Feb. 2011, <http://www.runarestaurant.co.uk/restaurant-trends-uk.html>.
Wired 2009, London Restaurant Uses Touchpads for Orders, Projectors for Mood Alteration, viewed 18 Feb. 2011, <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/03/inamo-restauran>.

APPENDIX
Appendix1
The UK Thai Food Subsector by Value at Current Prices(£m at rsp and %), 2005 - 2010 | Value (£m)% change year – on – yearShare of ethnic foods market, excluding rice (%)rsp – retail selling pricesSource: Key Note | 200553.3-4.8 | 200656.05.14.9 | 200758.03.64.9 | 200861.05.24.9 | 200964.55.75.0 | 201068.46.05.0 |

Appendix2
Address: 19 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3NE