BFood offerstaste of success with restaurant franchises

Asian cuisine is a rich melting pot of food from different cultures. With a penchant for flavourful dishes, Asians have one of the most diversified palates - shaped by the creative use of spices, grains and meat. Berjaya Food (BFood) takes pride in further enriching Asian tastes with food and beverage establishments that treat customers to a different kind of gastronomic experience.

Berjaya Corp, a conglomerate that has made a mark in Malaysia and the rest of Asia since 1984, has brought renowned franchises to Malaysia such as Kenny Rogers Roasters (KRR), Starbucks Coffee, Jollibean Foods, Wendy's, Papa John's Pizza and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

As part of Berjaya, BFood has extensive knowledge of the markets where it is present. This has enabled BFood to successfully adapt international brands to suit Asian eating habits.

Listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia on March 8, 2011, BFood is primarily engaged in developing the KRR chain of restaurants in Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia. It also develops Starbucks Coffee stores in Malaysia and Brunei and Jollibean Foods outlets in Singapore and Malaysia.

Stringent quality control measures play an important role in helping BFood safeguard the original premise of its international franchises. In KRR, BFood ensures that its menu consists of healthy and tasty offerings such as its signature rotisserie-roasted chicken with a variety of hot and cold side dishes, home-made muffins, pasta and sandwiches.

Berjaya holds the worldwide franchise of KRR after acquiring it from New York-based fast-food chain Nathan's Famous. KRR was well-received in Asia but growth slowed in 1998, prompting the company to re-evaluate its business strategy. After revamping the menu and transforming the dining concept from self-service to table-service restaurant, Berjaya turned KRR around.

"People are willing to pay extra for the convenience of having fresh and hot food delivered to the table. This is Asia after all, people want warm food," says BFood CEO Francis Lee.