PitzaBurg to launch next week
After making Chinese buns under the name "Khun Wen" for almost four years, Somboon Anekwiroj dreamed of challenging the leading pizza players - Pizza Hut and The Pizza Co - with his own brand.
“I have seen the very high prices of pizzas set by international players in the marketplace. Pizzas have been recognised as a luxury product that people cannot afford on a daily basis, but I want to make pizza a food people can eat every day,” he said.
Called PiztaBurg, the first 23-square-metre outlet will debut at CentralPlaza Rattanathibet on September 19 with a takeout counter. It has been run by Somboon’s daughter Saowalak, who graduated in engineering from Chulalongkorn University last year. Besides about eight kinds of pizza priced from Bt295-Bt395, pasta and burgers are also available.
PiztaBurg was developed because of the strong potential of the food business, which can be successful at less cost, said Somboon, who also has other restaurants – Seng Yok Sod noodle shop and Daiichi sushi restaurant.
PiztaBurg would focus on offering more value for the money compared to the international chains.
“I will take about two to three months after opening the first PiztaBurg to test the market’s response before making any decision to launch more stores,” he said.
To cash in on the Asean Economic Community that will fully open markets in 2015, Singaporean investors have acquired regional licences from many international restaurant brands, as they want to dominate markets such as Thailand, he said.
“As a local small businessman, I want to protect our homeland and Thai businesses from the invasion of more international restaurant chains when the AEC is fully implemented,” he said.
PiztaBurg expects to sell 40 pan pizzas, 50 burgers and 50 boxes of spaghetti a day, for about Bt20,000 in daily receipts or Bt7.5 million a year.
